title: Functional inhibition of the human middle temporal cortex affects non-visual motion perception: a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation study during tactile speed discrimination.
abstract: The visual motion-responsive middle temporal complex (hMT+) is activated during tactile and aural motion discrimination in both sighted and congenitally blind individuals, suggesting a supramodal organization of this area. Specifically, non-visual motion processing has been found to activate the more anterior portion of the hMT+. In the present study, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) was used to determine whether this more anterior portion of hMT+ truly plays a functional role in tactile motion processing. Sixteen blindfolded, young, healthy volunteers were asked to detect changes in the rotation velocity of a random Braille-like dot pattern by using the index or middle finger of their right hand. rTMS was applied for 600 ms (10 Hz, 110% motor threshold), 200 ms after the stimulus onset with a figure-of-eight coil over either the anterior portion of hMT+ or a midline parieto-occipital site (as a control). Accuracy and reaction times were significantly impaired only when TMS was applied on hMT+, but not on the control area. These results indicate that the recruitment of hMT+ is necessary for tactile motion processing, and thus corroborate the hypothesis of a 'supramodal' functional organization for this sensory motion processing area.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Department of Experimental Pathology, BMIE, University of Pisa Medical School, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Emiliano
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ricciardi
authors.forename: Demis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Basso
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sani
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonino
authors.forename: Tomaso
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vecchi
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pietrini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miniussi
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D055698:Touch Perception / Q000528:radiation effects*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation