Abstract
Traditionally, the visual motion area (MT) is considered as a brain region specialized for visual motion perception. However, accumulating evidence showed that MT is also related to various functions, suggesting that it is a complex functional area and different functional subregions might exist in this area. To delineate functional subregions of this area, left and right masks of MT were defined using meta-analysis in the BrainMap database, and coactivation-based parcellation was then performed on these two masks. Two dorsal subregions (Cl1 and Cl2) and one ventral subregion (Cl3) of left MT, as well as two dorsal-anterior subregions (Cl1 and Cl2), one ventral-anterior subregion (Cl3), and an additional posterior subregion (Cl4) of right MT were identified. In addition to vision motion, distinct and specific functions were identified in different subregions characterized by task-dependent functional connectivity mapping and forward/reverse inference on associated functions. These results not only were in accordance with the previous findings of a hemispheric asymmetry of MT, but also strongly confirmed the existence of subregions in this region with distinct and specific functions. Furthermore, our results extend the special role of visual motion perception on this area and might facilitate future cognitive study.
Highlights
The human being acquires outer information mainly relying on visual inputs
Visual motion perception is primarily modulated by the visual motion area (MT), which is a brain region specialized for the perception of motion in the visual modality
Motion area is specific for visual motion and approximately located in the junction of the posterior middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and occipital gyrus (Smith et al, 2006)
Summary
The human being acquires outer information mainly relying on visual inputs. Visual motion perception is primarily modulated by the visual motion area (MT), which is a brain region specialized for the perception of motion in the visual modality. The first discovery of MT comes from the study of stimulating sensitive area of visual movement in the monkey brain. Using PET technology, Zhang et al (2007) studied 12 normal movement and static visual tasks and consistently found that the MT area was located in the occipital lobe in spite of individual variability. This area was exactly located in the junction between the ascending limb of the inferior temporal sulcus and the lateral occipital sulcus (Watson et al, 1993). MT was recently further delineated by analysis of myelination, and MT has significantly different myelination compared to surrounding tissues (Annese et al, 2004)
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