We investigated the role played by the human supra-marginal gyrus (SMG) when observers learnt a task involving predictable sequences of saccadic eye movements. Typically, such sequence learning occurs very quickly (after one or two trials), and results in predictive eye movements that have shorter latencies compared to saccades made when the position is not known. Importantly, we demonstrate that when SMG function in the right cerebral hemisphere is disrupted using MRI-guided Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) (see Figure 1, sup material), the ability to make short latency anticipatory saccades is significantly impaired. This is in contrast to random sequences (where the pattern of eye movements cannot be learned), and delivery of TMS to the right SMG had no effect (see figure 2, sup material). These results indicate that neural activity within the right SMG is essential for the processing and release of visual information necessary for making early predictive motor responses.
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