Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the occipital cortex interferes with foot movements in blind individuals

Abstract

AbstractResearch in blind individuals has shown that after visual loss, the occipital cortex can be reorganized and repurposed for nonvisual perception and cognitive functions. No studies, however, have directly examined its involvement in motor production. Here we show that a rhythmic foot movement performed by acquired blind participants can be disrupted by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to their primary and secondary visual cortex (V1/V2). This disruptive effect of TMS was absent for both sighted and congenitally blind participants. These results suggest that the visual cortex of blind individuals is involved in motor production, but its involvement requires prior visual experience. Our finding indicates that functional repurposing of the visual cortex may not be restricted to perception and cognitive functions, but extended to motor function. The reorganization of the visuomotor network, which has been developed before visual loss, may allow motor function to emerge from the visual cortex of blind individuals.