Role of the Brain in Processing Visually Presented Objects

Study Summary

This study will examine the parts of the brain that use visual information to perform movements. Patients with certain brain lesions tend to have difficulty in processing visually presented objects. This study will look at the brain mechanisms underlying the visuo-motor integration. Healthy normal volunteers between 20 and 60 years of age are eligible for this study. People who have had a severe head injury with loss of consciousness or any other mental or neurological disorder diagnosed by a doctor may not participate. Candidates will be screened with a medical history, a physical examination focusing on finger movements, and a questionnaire. Participants' brain activity will be recorded using two techniques - magnetoencephalography(MEG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - while they watch pictures of various objects flashed on a screen. MEG is a procedure to record magnetic field changes produced by brain activity. During the recording, the subject sits comfortably in an armchair in a dimly lit room and watches pictures presented on a screen. About 50 pictures are shown per session. There are about five sessions, separated by 3-minute breaks. Functional MRI involves taking pictures of the brain using MRI while the subject performs a task. MRI uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of body organs and tissues. The MRI scanner is a metal cylinder surrounded by a magnetic field. The subject lies still on a table that can slide in and out of the scanner. During the scan, he or she looks at pictures in six test blocks of 1 minute each, with 30-second breaks between blocks.