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J Neurophysiol 96: 941-945, 2006. First published April 19, 2006; doi:10.1152/jn.00015.2006
0022-3077/06 $8.00
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Stimulation of the Human Frontal Eye Fields Modulates Sensitivity of Extrastriate Visual Cortex

Juha Silvanto, Nilli Lavie and Vincent Walsh

Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom

Submitted 5 January 2006; accepted in final form 18 April 2006

The precise role of frontal eye fields (FEF) in vision independent of their role in eye movements remains a matter of debate. One proposal is that the FEF exert top-down influences on the extrastriate visual cortex prior to eye movement preparation. Here we establish, by use of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), that activity in the human FEFs has a direct effect on the sensitivity of extrastriate visual area MT/V5, and that the spatial organization of this top-down effect is lateralized in the human brain. We show that phosphene threshold—the TMS intensity required to elicit a visual perception—for MT/V5 stimulation changes as a function of the delay between the application of TMS over FEF and MT/V5. The effects were specific to the location and time of stimulation. Stimulation of FEF 20–40 ms prior to stimulation of MT/V5 decreased the intensity of MT/V5 stimulation required to elicit phosphenes: TMS of the right FEF changed the sensitivity of left and right MT/V5 whereas TMS of the left FEF changed the sensitivity only of the left MT/V5. Thus, the sensitivity of human extrastriate cortex is modulated by activity in the FEF.

Address for reprint requests and other correspondence: J. Silvanto, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom (E-mail: juha.silvanto{at}ucl.ac.uk)




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