Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 15, 2026
06:46
Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
Cortical mechanisms for shifting and holding visuospatial attention
Todd A Kelley1, John T Serences, Barry Giesbrecht
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The Johns Hopkins University (JHU), Baltimore, MD 21218, USA. tkelley@jhu.edu
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|April 17, 2007
Summary
Voluntary visual attention involves decoupling, shifting, and maintaining focus. Brain imaging reveals distinct dorsal frontoparietal network regions for these covert attention processes.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
- Visual Attention
Background:
- Covert visual attention shifts are crucial for awareness.
- Voluntary attention redeployment involves decoupling, shifting, and maintenance.
- Neural mechanisms underlying these components require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To dissociate the neural correlates of decoupling, shifting, and maintaining covert visual attention.
- To investigate the roles of specific frontoparietal brain regions in voluntary attention shifts.
Main Methods:
- Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Task involved shifting attention between fixation and peripheral letter/digit streams.
- Analysis focused on dissociating neural activity for different attentional components.
Main Results:
- Shifting attention between peripheral locations activated superior parietal lobule (SPL) and frontal eye fields (FEF).
- Decoupling attention from fixation involved supplementary eye fields and distinct SPL/FEF portions.
- Sustained peripheral attention correlated with activity in precentral sulcus (PreCS) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC).
Conclusions:
- Distinct sub-regions of the dorsal frontoparietal network support different components of covert attention.
- Specific areas initiate attention redeployment and disengagement from fixation.
- Sustained peripheral attention is associated with persistent activity in lateral PPC and PreCS.
Related Concept Videos
01:15Depth Perception and Spatial Vision
Depth perception is the ability to perceive objects three-dimensionally. It relies on two types of cues: binocular and monocular. Binocular cues depend on the combination of images from both eyes and how the eyes work together. Since the eyes are in slightly different positions, each eye captures a slightly different image. This disparity between images, known as binocular disparity, helps the brain interpret depth. When the brain compares these images, it determines the distance to an object.
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
01:24Working Memory
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this information.
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
01:12Perceptual Constancy
Perceptual constancy is the ability to recognize that objects remain consistent and unchanged even when their appearance varies due to changes in sensory input. There are four main types of perceptual constancy: size constancy, shape constancy, color constancy, and brightness constancy.
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...
Size constancy is the recognition that an object remains the same size, even when its image on the retina changes. For instance, a bus is perceived to be large enough to carry people, even if it looks tiny from...