Our PhD student Federica Bencivenga presented a thesis entitled “Neural underpinnings of visuomotor functions: Insights from brain connectivity”. In which she explored visuomotor connectivity applting multiple methodologies and techniques. Congratulations!!!

Among the egomotion areas, MT+, V6+, and V3A responses are modulated by object-motion velocities during self-motion, hence reflecting their possible role in discriminating between distinct velocities of self- and object-motion.

Findings highlighted that the effect of IPS and AG stimulations seems to suggest that the two regions may be coactivated or that a third-party source might indirectly mediate the interaction between the two networks.

This paper details the functional organization of posterior parietal cortex, delineating fronto-parietal networks for visuomotor tasks. Identifies distinct regions: lateral lpIPS (saccades, linked with FEF) and medial mpIPS (pointing, linked with PMd). Dynamic causal modeling shows effector-specific modulation of interactions within networks during similar movements.

Findings highlighted functional sensitivity for coherent visual motion and lower-limb movements in MST and FST, suggesting their possible involvement in integrating sensory and motor information to perform locomotion.

Visual and visuomotor egomotion regions can play different roles within a network that integrates sensorimotor signals with the aim of guiding movements in the external environment.

Our paper on Effector-selective modulation of the effective connectivity within frontoparietal circuits during visuomotor tasks is now out on Cerebral cortex!

Our paper on Individual differences in mental imagery modulate effective connectivity of scene‐selective regions during resting state is now out on Brain Structure and Function!

Our post-doc lab member Maria Giulia Tullo has been awarded by the Society of Neuropsychology for the best Doctoral Thesis in the neuropsychology field.