Neuronal Synchronization in Human Posterior Parietal Cortex during Reach Planning
Publication year
2010Source
The Journal of Neuroscience, 30, 4, (2010), pp. 1402-1412ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor
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Organization
SW OZ DCC CO
Journal title
The Journal of Neuroscience
Volume
vol. 30
Issue
iss. 4
Languages used
English (eng)
Page start
p. 1402
Page end
p. 1412
Subject
Action, intention, and motor control; DI-BCB_DCC_Theme 2: Perception, Action and ControlAbstract
Although single-unit studies in monkeys have identified effector-related regions in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) during saccade and reach planning, the degree of effector specificity of corresponding human regions, as established by recordings of the blood oxygen level-dependent signal, is still under debate. Here, we addressed this issue from a different perspective, by studying the neuronal synchronization of the human PPC during both reach and saccade planning. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), we recorded ongoing brain activity while subjects performed randomly alternating trials of memory-guided reaches or saccades. Additionally, subjects performed a dissociation task requiring them to plan both a memory-guided saccade and reach to locations in opposing visual hemifields. Weexamined changes in spectral power of the MEG signal during a 1.5 smemory period in relation to target location (left/right) and effector type (eye/hand). The results show direction-selective synchronization in the 70-90 Hz gamma frequency band, originating from the medial aspect of the PPC, when planning a reaching movement. In contrast, activity in a more central portion of the PPC was synchronized in a lower gamma band (50-60 Hz) when planning the direction of a saccade. Both observations were corroborated in the dissociation task. In the lower frequency bands, we observed sustained alpha-band (8-12 Hz) desynchronization in occipitoparietal regions, but in an effector-unspecific manner. These results suggest that distinct modules in the posterior parietal cortex encode movement goals of different effectors by selective gamma-band activity, compatible with the functional organization of monkey PPC.
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- Academic publications [238441]
- Electronic publications [122544]
- Faculty of Social Sciences [29483]
- Open Access publications [97535]
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