title: Mapping the organization of axis of motion selective features in human area MT using high-field fMRI.
abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at high magnetic fields has made it possible to investigate the columnar organization of the human brain in vivo with high degrees of accuracy and sensitivity. Until now, these results have been limited to the organization principles of early visual cortex (V1). While the middle temporal area (MT) has been the first identified extra-striate visual area shown to exhibit a columnar organization in monkeys, evidence of MT's columnar response properties and topographic layout in humans has remained elusive. Research using various approaches suggests similar response properties as in monkeys but failed to provide direct evidence for direction or axis of motion selectivity in human area MT. By combining state of the art pulse sequence design, high spatial resolution in all three dimensions (0.8 mm isotropic), optimized coil design, ultrahigh field magnets (7 Tesla) and novel high resolution cortical grid sampling analysis tools, we provide the first direct evidence for large-scale axis of motion selective feature organization in human area MT closely matching predictions from topographic columnar-level simulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goebel
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: De Martino
authors.forename: Pierre-Francois
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: van de Moortele
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Feinberg
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Adriany
authors.forename: Denis
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chaimow
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shmuel
authors.forename: Kamil
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uğurbil
authors.forename: Essa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yacoub
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004566:Electrodes; D005260:Female; D000882:Haplorhini; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009038:Motion; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology