Transcranial static magnetic field stimulation over hMT+ inhibits visual motion discriminability

Abstract

Visuomotor performance acting on a moving target is fundamentally based on visual motion discriminability, and its neural basis is presumed to be human MT (hMT+), a motion vision center of the dorsal visual pathway. In this study, we investigated whether and how the accuracy and speed of motion discrimination are affected by applying transcranial static magnetic field stimulation (tSMS) to hMT+, which reduces cortical excitability. Sixteen participants performed a motion direction discrimination (MDD) task using a random dot kinematogram before (Pre-test) and during (During-test) application of the tSMS over left hMT+. The correct rate of the MDD task was significantly lower in the During-test compared to the Pre-test, an effect not seen with the sham condition. The inhibition effects were observed only for the right visual field corresponding to hMT+ in the stimulated hemisphere. On the other hand, no modulatory effect of tSMS was observed in the reaction time. We, therefore, demonstrated the inhibitory effect of tSMS on the left hMT+ impairs the accuracy but not the speed of motion information processing in the contralateral visual field.