title: Perceptual load modulates visual cortex excitability to magnetic stimulation.
abstract: Much recent research has shown that the level of perceptual load in a task determines the perception of task-irrelevant stimuli and associated neural activity, but the mediating neural mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that increasing the level of perceptual load in a static letter search task results in an increase in the intensity of transcranial magnetic stimulation over V5/MT required to elicit the perception of a moving phosphene. These findings suggest that the neural mechanisms mediating the effects of perceptual load involve reduced visual cortex excitability in task-unrelated areas.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Muggleton
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lamb
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Nilli
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lavie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010719:Phosphenes / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011601:Psychophysics; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000528:radiation effects*; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*