Speaker
Description
Mental rotation (MR) is a crucial process that underlies our ability to spatially navigate and recognize objects despite viewing them from varying distances and viewpoints. MR competence is linked to superior sport and academic performance, and deficits can impact activities of daily living like driving. Previous work using single-pulse TMS has confirmed the causal involvement of three brain regions: left and right dorsal premotor area (LPMd and RPMd) and left superior parietal lobe (LSPL). In the present study, we aim to identify critical time windows during which these regions are essential for task performance by applying single-pulse TMS at different timepoints to the PMd and left SPL during MR. 30 right-handed participants (mean age = 23.4 years, SD = 1.7) performed a mental rotation task, where they had to determine whether two three-dimensional (3D) figures are identical despite differing orientations. TMS-induced disruption is expected to delay response times, highlighting the temporal dynamics of perceptual-motor decision processes. Preliminary results reveal that LPMD is critical at 100ms and 200ms, suggesting that it contributes to early stages of visuospatial transformation. To control for this result, we are recruiting a new right-handed participant cohort to perform the same task using their left hand. We hypothesise that LPMd involvement will remain consistent regardless of which hand is used to respond. By mapping brain-behavior relationships with high temporal resolution, our research bridges perceptual processing, decision-making, and action.
