Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 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
Transient and sustained brain activity during anticipatory visuospatial attention
Tracy L Luks1, Felice T Sun, Corby L Dale
1Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143, USA. Tracy.Luks@radiology.ucsf.edu
Neuroreport
|January 11, 2008
Summary
This study reveals distinct brain regions supporting transient and sustained visuospatial attention. The findings differentiate early and late network activity during attention tasks, enhancing our understanding of cognitive processes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- The visuospatial attention network involves frontal, parietal, and occipital cortex.
- Understanding the temporal dynamics of this network is crucial for cognitive function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if the visuospatial attention network can be divided into distinct active regions for transient and sustained processes.
- To investigate activity patterns within the cue-to-target delay period of an endogenously cued visuospatial attention task.
Main Methods:
- Event-related BOLD functional MRI data was analyzed using a general linear model.
- Two timecourse covariates were employed to differentiate early transient and later sustained activity during the delay period.
Main Results:
- Significant transient activity was observed in the right frontal eye field and right occipital-parietal junction.
- Significant sustained activity was identified in the right ventral intraparietal sulcus and right dorsolateral and anterior prefrontal cortex.
Conclusions:
- The visuospatial attention network exhibits distinct regional activation patterns for transient and sustained processes.
- These findings provide a more detailed map of the neural substrates underlying different temporal aspects of attention.
