Activation of human V5 complex and rolandic regions in association with moving visual stimuli

We recorded magnetoencephalographic responses from seven healthy humans during the presentation of stationary and rotating radial gratings. Rotations lasting 1 s evoked movement-specific sustained activity in the parieto-occipitotemporal border area, in agreement with the activation of the V5 complex specialized for the analysis of movement. The source areas of the movement-specific sustained fields were transiently active 100-130 ms after the onsets of both rotating and stationary stimuli, suggesting that movement-related cortical areas respond to any transient changes in the visual environment. Transients were evoked also in other brain areas 60-200 ms after onsets of both stimuli. Four subjects displayed additional motion-related sustained activity in the rolandic region. Sustained activity continued after the stimulus movement in several subjects during perception of the movement aftereffect. The transient activity may evoke visual attention while sustained activity of the V5 complex may be related to the conscious perception of movement.