The role of human extra-striate visual areas V5/MT and V2/V3 in the perception of the direction of global motion: a transcranial magnetic stimulation study

Several published single case studies reveal a double dissociation between the effects of brain damage in separate extra-striate cortical visual areas on the perception of global visual motion defined by a difference in luminance (first-order motion) versus motion defined by a difference in contrast (second-order motion). In particular, the medial extrastriate cortical region V2/V3 seems to be crucial for the perception of first-order motion, but not for second-order, whereas a lateral and more anterior portion of the cortex close to the temporo-parieto-occipital junction (in the territory of the human motion area hV5/Mt(+)) seems to be essential only for the perception of second-order motion. In order to test the hypothesis of a functional specialization of different visual areas for different types of motion, we applied repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) unilaterally over areas V2/V3, V5/MT, or posterior parietal cortex (PPC) while subjects performed a 2AFC task with first- or second-order global motion displays in the contralateral visual field. Results showed a comparable disruption of the two types of motion, with both rTMS over V2/V3 or over MT/V5, and little or no effect with rTMS over PPC. The results suggest that either the previous psychophysical results with neurological patients are incorrect (highly unlikely) or that the lateral and medial regions are directly connected (as they are in macaque monkeys) such that stimulating one automatically affects the other, in this instance disruptively.