Stimulation of the Human Frontal Eye Fields Modulates Sensitivity of Extrastriate Visual Cortex

Abstract

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.