Primate area MST-l is involved in the generation of goal-directed eye and hand movements.

Full Abstract

The contributions of the middle superior temporal area (MST) in the posterior parietal cortex of rhesus monkeys to the generation of smooth-pursuit eye movements as well as the contributions to motion perception are well established. Here, we present the first experimental evidence that this area also contributes to the generation of goal-directed hand movements toward a moving target. This evidence is based on the outcome of intracortical microstimulation experiments and transient lesions by small injections of muscimol at identified sites within the lateral part of area MST (MST-l). When microstimulation was applied during the execution of smooth-pursuit eye movements, postsaccadic eye velocity in the direction of the preferred direction of the stimulated site increased significantly (in 93 of 136 sites tested). When microstimulation was applied during a hand movement trial, the hand movement was displaced significantly in the same direction (in 28 of 39 sites tested). When we lesioned area MST-l transiently by injections of muscimol, steady-state eye velocity was exclusively reduced for ipsiversive smooth-pursuit eye movements. In contrast, hand movements were displaced toward the contralateral side, irrespective of the direction of the moving target. Our results provide evidence that area MST-l is involved in the processing of moving targets and plays a role in the execution of smooth-pursuit eye movements as well as visually guided hand movements.

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Author information

Author/s: Ilg, Uwe J (UJ); Schumann, Stefan (S);

Affiliation: Cognitive Neurology, Hertie-Institute of Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller Strasse 27, D 72076 Tübingen, Germany. uwe.ilg(-atsign-)uni-tuebingen.de

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of neurophysiology (J Neurophysiol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Jan; vol 97 (issue 1) : pp 761-71

Dates: Created 2007/01/17; Completed 2007/03/09;

PMID: 17065255, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Action Potentials - drug effects; physiology
Animals
Attention - physiology
Electric Stimulation
GABA Agonists - pharmacology
Hand - physiology
Macaca mulatta
Male
Motion Perception - drug effects; physiology
Movement - drug effects; physiology
Muscimol - pharmacology

Muscimol - pharmacology
Neurons - drug effects; physiology
Neuropsychological Tests
Orientation - drug effects; physiology
Photic Stimulation
Psychomotor Performance - drug effects; physiology
Pursuit, Smooth - drug effects; physiology
Space Perception - drug effects; physiology
Temporal Lobe - drug effects; physiology
Visual Cortex - drug effects; physiology
Visual Pathways - drug effects

Associated Chemicals: GABA Agonists (0) ; Muscimol (2763-96-4)

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