The right angular gyrus controls spontaneous eyeblink rate: A combined structural MRI and TMS study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Spontaneous eyeblink rates exhibit significant inter-individual variability.
• The specific brain region responsible for controlling spontaneous eyeblinks remains unidentified.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the brain region controlling spontaneous eyeblink generation.
• To investigate the relationship between brain anatomy and eyeblink rate variability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in 57 participants.
• Correlated gray matter volume with spontaneous eyeblink rates.
• Employed continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to disrupt right angular gyrus (rAG) activity.

Main Results:

• Found a positive association between gray matter volume in the right angular gyrus (rAG) and higher spontaneous eyeblink rates.
• Demonstrated that TMS of the rAG significantly decreased eyeblink rate by 16%.
• Sham stimulation showed no significant effect on eyeblink rate.

Conclusions:

• The right angular gyrus (rAG) plays a crucial role in the generation of spontaneous eyeblinks in humans.
• Structural and functional evidence implicates the rAG in the neural control of blinking.