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Dorsal Posterior Parietal Cortex Lesions Disrupt Spatial- but Not Motor-Based Inhibition.

Julie Ouerfelli-Ethier^1,2, Tristan Jurkiewicz¹, Isabella Comtois-Bona²

¹Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL, INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Trajectoires, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, Bâtiment 336, Bron, France.

The European Journal of Neuroscience

|May 6, 2026

Summary

Damage to the dorsal posterior parietal cortex impairs spatial inhibition but preserves motor-based response inhibition. This highlights the cortex's specific role in spatial attention.

Keywords:

countermanding inhibition of return motor intention saccade planning spatial attention

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Psychology
Neurobiology

Background:

Spatial inhibition and response inhibition are distinct inhibitory processes.
Spatial inhibition involves location suppression, while response inhibition is motor-based movement cancellation.
The dorsal posterior parietal cortex's role in these processes is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of dorsal posterior parietal cortex lesions on spatial and response inhibition.
To determine if damage to this area differentially impacts these two types of inhibition.

Main Methods:

Two saccade tasks were used: the inhibition of return task for spatial inhibition and the stop signal task for response inhibition.
Two stroke patients with dorsal posterior parietal cortex lesions (unilateral and bilateral) were tested.
Performance was compared to 21 age-matched controls.

Main Results:

Control participants exhibited the typical inhibition of return effect.
Patients with dorsal posterior parietal cortex lesions showed no inhibition of return in their ataxic hemifields.
Patients and controls performed similarly on the stop signal task, indicating preserved response inhibition.

Conclusions:

The dorsal posterior parietal cortex is specifically involved in spatial inhibition, not motor-based response inhibition.
Lesions to this area result in impaired spatial inhibition, likely related to spatial attentional mechanisms.
A simple dissociation exists, with motor inhibition preserved and spatial inhibition impaired after dorsal posterior parietal cortex damage.