El uso de la estimulación magnética transcraneal en el estudio de la neuroanatomía y la cronometría de la heminegligencia

Abstract

The present paper includes a review of the literature focused on the study of neglect syndrome with TMS the technique (single and paired pulse) and the proposal and development of a study about the temporal involvement of angular gyrus and supramarginal gyrus in this syndrome. Despite the existing empirical evidence on the role of the parietal cortex in visual attention, the specific role of each of its subarea is far from clear, nor the time course of parietal neural activity.
Neglect has become an interesting object of study for groups carrying out research with TMS, given the capacity of this technique to establish causal relationships between brain function and behavior by producing transient virtual lesions. Furthermore, this technique allows the study of the temporal course of cognitive functions by exciting or inhibiting different cortical areas at different times.
The research that is being carried out currently in Cognitive Neuro-Lab  (IN3) is focused on the study of two brain areas of parietal cortex which, according to empirical evidence available, seems to play a key role in occurrence of neglect. Using an on-line experimental paradigm of single-pulse TMS we try to shed some light on the functional neuroanatomy and timing of neglect.