Wide-field retinotopy defines human cortical visual area v6.
The retinotopic organization of a newly identified visual area near the midline in the dorsalmost part of the human parieto-occipital sulcus was mapped using high-field functional magnetic resonance imaging, cortical surface-based analysis, and wide-field retinotopic stimulation. This area was found in all 34 subjects that were mapped. It represents the contralateral visual hemifield in both hemispheres of all subjects, with upper fields located anterior and medial to areas V2/V3, and lower fields medial and slightly anterior to areas V3/V3A. It contains a representation of the center of gaze distinct from V3A, a large representation of the visual periphery, and a mirror-image representation of the visual field. Based on similarity in position, visuotopic organization, and relationship with the neighboring extrastriate visual areas, we suggest it might be the human homolog of macaque area V6, and perhaps of area M (medial) or DM (dorsomedial) of New World primates.
Pitzalis
Sabrina
S
NeuroImaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 00179 Rome, Italy.
Galletti
Claudio
C
Huang
Ruey-Song
RS
Patria
Fabiana
F
Committeri
Giorgia
G
Galati
Gaspare
G
Fattori
Patrizia
P
Sereno
Martin I
MI
D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008251:Macaca; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology*