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Mapping Cortical Dynamics Using Simultaneous MEG/EEG and Anatomically-constrained Minimum-norm Estimates: an Auditory Attention Example
Published on: October 24, 2012
Persistent neural activity in the human frontal cortex when maintaining space that is off the map.
Kyeong-Jin Tark1, Clayton E Curtis
1Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York, USA.
Nature Neuroscience
|October 6, 2009
Summary
Neural activity in the frontal eye field (FEF) persists during auditory working memory tasks. This brain region represents both visual and auditory spatial information, including locations beyond direct gaze.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Auditory Perception
Background:
- Neural activity in the frontal eye field (FEF) is crucial for maintaining visuospatial information in visual working memory.
- The role of FEF in processing auditory spatial information remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether human FEF activity persists during the maintenance of auditory space.
- To determine if FEF activity is selective for retinal versus extra-retinal space in an audiospatial working-memory task.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to monitor brain activity.
- Participants performed an audiospatial working-memory task using ear canal microphones to preserve sound localization cues.
Main Results:
- FEF activity persisted during the maintenance of cued auditory space.
- This persistent activity was observed even for auditory locations behind the head, which are not associated with saccades.
Conclusions:
- Human FEF activity is involved in maintaining auditory spatial representations.
- FEF processing extends beyond retinal space to encompass extra-retinal spatial information, including auditory space.
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