The Continuous Wagon Wheel Illusion and the Right Parietal Lobe
Author Information
Author(s): VanRullen Rufin, Pascual-Leone Alvaro, Battelli Lorella
Primary Institution: Université de Toulouse, CerCo, UPS, Toulouse, France
Hypothesis
The right inferior parietal lobe plays a critical role in timing perceptual events relative to one another.
Conclusion
The continuous Wagon Wheel Illusion is weakened following disruption of the right parietal lobe, indicating its role in motion perception.
Supporting Evidence
- Disruption of the right parietal lobe significantly decreased the strength of the continuous Wagon Wheel Illusion.
- The illusion was not significantly affected by stimulation of the left parietal lobe.
- Results were consistent across both visual fields.
Takeaway
Sometimes, when you watch a wheel spin, it can look like it's going backward. This study found that a part of the brain helps us understand when things happen, and if that part is disrupted, the illusion is less strong.
Methodology
Participants viewed a rotating stimulus while receiving repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation on the left or right inferior parietal lobe.
Limitations
The study's findings may not fully account for contributions from lower-level motion detectors.
Participant Demographics
Participants included two authors and four naïve subjects with normal or corrected-to-normal vision.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website