Spatial frequency modulates visual cortical response to temporal frequency variation of visual stimuli: an fMRI study

The brain response to temporal frequency (TF) variation has already been reported, but with no study for different TF with respect to various spatial frequencies (SF). Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed with a 1.5 Tesla General Electric system in 14 volunteers during square-wave reversal checkerboard visual stimulation with different temporal frequencies of 4, 6, 8 and 10 Hz in two states of low SF of 0.4 and high SF of 8 cpd (cycles/degree). The activation map was created using the data obtained from the block-designed fMRI study. Voxels whose Z value was above a threshold of 3.0, at a significance level P = 0.05, were considered activated. The results demonstrated that the percentage BOLD signal change in response to different TFs was the maximum value at 6 Hz for a high SF of 8 cpd, whereas it was the maximum at TF of 8 Hz for a low SF of 0.4 cpd. The results of this study agree with the results of animal invasive neurophysiological studies showing spatial and temporal frequency selectivity of neurons in visual cortical areas. These results can be useful for vision therapy (such as the treatment of amblyopia) and selecting a visual task in fMRI studies.