Document Detail


The neural mechanisms of the effects of transcranial magnetic stimulation on perception.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20457853     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a technique used to study perceptual, motor, and cognitive functions in the human brain. Its effects have been likened to a "virtual brain lesion," but a direct test of this assumption is lacking. To verify this hypothesis, we measured psychophysically the interaction between the neural activity induced by a visual motion-direction discrimination task and that induced by TMS. The visual stimulus featured two elements: a visual signal (dots that moved coherently in one direction) and visual noise (dots that moved randomly in many directions). Three hypotheses were tested to explain the impairment in performance as a result of TMS: 1) a decrease in signal strength; 2) an induction of randomly distributed neural noise with an accompanying decrement in system sensitivity; and 3) a suppression of relevant information processing and addition of neural noise. We provide evidence in favor of the second hypothesis by showing that TMS basically acts by adding neural noise to the perceptual process.
Authors:
Manuela Ruzzoli; Carlo A Marzi; Carlo Miniussi
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article     Date:  2010-03-24
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of neurophysiology     Volume:  103     ISSN:  1522-1598     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Neurophysiol.     Publication Date:  2010 Jun 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-10     Completed Date:  2010-09-09     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  0375404     Medline TA:  J Neurophysiol     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  2982-9     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Neurological and Vision Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Brain Mapping*
Female
Humans
Logistic Models
Male
Perception / physiology*
Photic Stimulation / methods
Reaction Time / physiology
Signal Detection, Psychological / physiology*
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / methods*
Visual Cortex / physiology*
Young Adult

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