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The Journal of Neuroscience, August 1, 2007, 27(31):8261-8267; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0754-07.2007

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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
Human MST But Not MT Responds to Tactile Stimulation

Michael S. Beauchamp,1 Nafi E. Yasar,1,3 Neel Kishan,1 and Tony Ro2

1Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, and Departments of 2Psychology and 3Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Michael S. Beauchamp, 6431 Fannin Street, Suite G.550, Houston, TX 77030. Email: michael.s.beauchamp{at}uth.tmc.edu

Previous reports of tactile responses in human visual area MT/V5 have used complex stimuli, such as a brush stroking the arm. These complex moving stimuli are likely to induce imagery of visual motion, which is known to be a powerful activator of MT. The area described as "MT" in previous reports consists of at least two distinct cortical areas, MT and MST. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we separately localized human MT and MST and measured their response to vibrotactile stimuli unlikely to induce imagery of visual motion. Strong vibrotactile responses were observed in MST but not in MT. Vibrotactile responses in MST were approximately one-half as large as the response to visual motion and were distinct from those in another visual area previously reported to respond to tactile stimulation, the lateral occipital complex. To examine somatotopic organization, we separately stimulated the left and right hand and foot. No spatial segregation between hand and foot responses was observed in MST. The average response profile of MST was similar to that of somatosensory cortex, with a strong preference for the contralateral hand. These results offer evidence for the existence of somatosensory responses in MST, but not MT, independent of imagery of visual motion.

Key words: multisensory; occipital; somatosensory; tactile; temporal; vibration; visual; visual motion

Received Feb. 19, 2007; revised June 15, 2007; accepted June 25, 2007.

Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Michael S. Beauchamp, 6431 Fannin Street, Suite G.550, Houston, TX 77030. Email: michael.s.beauchamp{at}uth.tmc.edu






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