Brain Structure and Function

, Volume 220, Issue 6, pp 3307–3321 | Cite as

Resting-state connectivity and functional specialization in human medial parieto-occipital cortex

  • Annalisa Tosoni
  • Sabrina Pitzalis
  • Giorgia Committeri
  • Patrizia Fattori
  • Claudio Galletti
  • Gaspare Galati
Original Article
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

According to recent models of visuo-spatial processing, the medial parieto-occipital cortex is a crucial node of the dorsal visual stream. Evidence from neurophysiological studies in monkeys has indicated that the parieto-occipital sulcus (POS) contains three functionally and cytoarchitectonically distinct areas: the visual area V6 in the fundus of the POS, and the visuo-motor areas V6Av and V6Ad in a progressively dorsal and anterior location with respect to V6. Besides different topographical organization, cytoarchitectonics, and functional properties, these three monkey areas can also be distinguished based on their patterns of cortico-cortical connections. Thanks to wide-field retinotopic mapping, areas V6 and V6Av have been also mapped in the human brain. Here, using a combined approach of resting-state functional connectivity and task-evoked activity by fMRI, we identified a new region in the anterior POS showing a pattern of functional properties and cortical connections that suggests a homology with the monkey area V6Ad. In addition, we observed distinct patterns of cortical connections associated with the human V6 and V6Av which are remarkably consistent with those showed by the anatomical tracing studies in the corresponding monkey areas. Consistent with recent models on visuo-spatial processing, our findings demonstrate a gradient of functional specialization and cortical connections within the human POS, with more posterior regions primarily dedicated to the analysis of visual attributes useful for spatial navigation and more anterior regions primarily dedicated to analyses of spatial information relevant for goal-directed action.

Keywords

Functional connectivity MRI Visual area V6 Visuo-motor area V6A V6Av–V6Ad 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by RC block grants from Italian Ministry of Health—Fondazione Santa Lucia to GG and SP and by FP7-ICT-217077-EYESHOTS from MIUR and Fondazione del Monte di Bologna e Ravenna to CG.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Annalisa Tosoni
    • 1
    • 2
  • Sabrina Pitzalis
    • 3
    • 4
  • Giorgia Committeri
    • 1
    • 2
  • Patrizia Fattori
    • 5
  • Claudio Galletti
    • 5
  • Gaspare Galati
    • 4
    • 6
  1. 1.Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical SciencesG. D’Annunzio UniversityChietiItaly
  2. 2.Institute for Advanced Biomedical Technologies “ITAB”G. D’Annunzio FoundationChietiItaly
  3. 3.Department of Motor, Human and Health SciencesUniversity of Rome “Foro Italico”RomeItaly
  4. 4.Laboratory of NeuropsychologySanta Lucia FoundationRomeItaly
  5. 5.Department of Pharmacy and BiotechnologyUniversity of BolognaBolognaItaly
  6. 6.Department of PsychologySapienza UniversityRomeItaly

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