An MEG investigation of the neural mechanisms subserving complex visuomotor coordination

Fifteen human participants performed a manual and ocular tracking task with a continuously and unpredictably moving visual target, while magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals were recorded. Three-dimensional source reconstructions were generated from the MEG signals, using synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM). The SAM images indicated main effects of alpha band (8–15 Hz) and beta band (15–30 Hz) source power decreases, for manual tracking in the sensorimotor and parietal cortices, and for ocular tracking in the parietal and occipital cortices. Additionally, the manual tracking task evoked a clear, contralateral motor cortex response in the form of high gamma band (60–90 Hz) source power increases. Time-frequency spectrograms revealed the induced gamma band power increases were sustained for the duration of each ten second trial demonstrating these oscillations are not simply transients associated with movement onset. The onset of the gamma band response was characterised by higher initial onset power and frequency but no correlations were observed between oscillatory power and successful tracking performance.

Research Highlights
► MEG oscillations were recorded during a complex visuomotor tracking task.
► Beta power decreases observed in sensorimotor, parietal and occipital cortices.
► Gamma power increases found in primary motor cortex.
► No correlations of task performance with oscillatory power changes were observed.
► Gamma power increases were characterised by higher frequency and power at onset.