Functional Segregation of the Middle Temporal Visual Motion Area Revealed With Coactivation-Based Parcellation

Abstract

Traditionally, the visual motion area (MT) is considered as a brain region specialized for visual motion perception. However, accumulating evidence showed that MT is also related to various functions, suggesting that it is a complex functional area and different functional subregions might exist in this area. To delineate functional subregions of this area, left and right masks of MT were defined using meta-analysis in the BrainMap database, and coactivation-based parcellation was then performed on these two masks. Two dorsal subregions (Cl1 and Cl2) and one ventral subregion (Cl3) of left MT, as well as two dorsal-anterior subregions (Cl1 and Cl2), one ventral-anterior subregion (Cl3), and an additional posterior subregion (Cl4) of right MT were identified. In addition to vision motion, distinct and specific functions were identified in different subregions characterized by task-dependent functional connectivity mapping and forward/reverse inference on associated functions. These results not only were in accordance with the previous findings of a hemispheric asymmetry of MT, but also strongly confirmed the existence of subregions in this region with distinct and specific functions. Furthermore, our results extend the special role of visual motion perception on this area and might facilitate future cognitive study.

Altered Intrinsic and Casual Functional Connectivities of the Middle Temporal Visual Motion Area Subregions in Chess Experts

“…Increasing evidence demonstrates that MT is a functional complex brain area with several distinct functional subregions (Smith et al, 2006;Kolster et al, 2010). Recently, using metaanalysis of visual motion task and coactivation-based parcellation approach with BrainMap database, Gao and colleagues identified the bilateral MT in human and subdivided this area into several different functional subregions (Gao et al, 2020). By comparing the whole-brain functional connectivity maps, we demonstrate that long-term professional chess training could induce the functional plasticity of different subregions.…”

“…MT subregions were defined with an MT atlas which, was created using coactivation-based parcellation approach (Gao et al, 2020). In this atlas, the left MT was parcellated into three subregions including two dorsal subregions (Cl1 and Cl2) and one ventral subregion (Cl3), and the right MT was parcellated into four subregions including two anterior subregions (Cl1 and Cl2), one middle subregion (Cl3), and an additional posterior subregion (Cl4) (Gao et al, 2020; Figure 1).…”

“…Increasing evidence has demonstrated that chess expertise can result in changed interactions between different brain networks due to frequent practice (Bilalic et al, 2011;Krawczyk et al, 2011;Duan et al, 2012aDuan et al, ,b, 2014Song et al, 2020), especially visuospatial attention network, which includes dorsal and ventral attention networks playing a key role in preparing, applying goal-directed selection for stimuli and responses, and detecting the salient targets (Corbetta and Shulman, 2002;Astafiev et al, 2004;Kincade et al, 2005;Fox et al, 2006;Wang et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2016). Visual motion area (MT), which is traditionally considered to be specialized for the perception of motion in the visual modality, plays an important role in visual motion and visuospatial attention processing and is the hub of the visuospatial attention network (Gao et al, 2020). Recently, based on meta-analysis in BrainMap database and task-related coactivation-based parcellation approach, Gao et al (2020) identified the MT region and parcellate this area into several different functional subregions showing different coactivation patterns and functions.…”

“…Visual motion area (MT), which is traditionally considered to be specialized for the perception of motion in the visual modality, plays an important role in visual motion and visuospatial attention processing and is the hub of the visuospatial attention network (Gao et al, 2020). Recently, based on meta-analysis in BrainMap database and task-related coactivation-based parcellation approach, Gao et al (2020) identified the MT region and parcellate this area into several different functional subregions showing different coactivation patterns and functions. Revealing the specific changes of MT subregions with a fine-grained MT atlas in master chess players compared to novices could provide a new avenue to delineate the neural basis of long-term skill practice on brain plasticity.…”

“…In this study, we studied the specific changes of functional connectivity patterns of each MT subregion in chess experts to uncover the neuroanatomical basis of brain plasticity induced by long-term chess practice using a full data-driven approach. First, bilateral MT subregions were defined with a fine-grained MT atlas (Gao et al, 2020), and the whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analysis for each subregion was performed. Next, Granger causality analysis (GCA) was used to identify the causal interactions between MT subregions and regions showing changed RSFC.…”