Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 6, 2026
07:08
Investigating Object Representations in the Macaque Dorsal Visual Stream Using Single-unit Recordings
Published on: August 1, 2018
8.8K
Coding of spatial attention priorities and object features in the macaque lateral intraparietal cortex
Ekaterina Levichkina1,2, Yuri B Saalmann1,3, Trichur R Vidyasagar4,5,6
1Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Physiological Reports
|March 9, 2017
Summary
Neurons in the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) integrate visual features and spatial attention. The lateral intraparietal area (LIP) plays a dual role in feature-based working memory and spatial attention feedback.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Systems Neuroscience
Background:
- The posterior parietal cortex (PPC), specifically the lateral intraparietal area (LIP), is crucial for spatial attention.
- LIP neurons respond to attended locations, but how they integrate object features with spatial attention remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between object feature selectivity and spatial attention in LIP neurons.
- To understand how LIP circuits integrate feature information for attentional feedback to the visual cortex.
Main Methods:
- Recorded from LIP cells in two macaques performing a delayed match-to-sample task.
- Measured orientation selectivity and attentional enhancement of LIP neurons.
- Monkeys matched both location and orientation of visual gratings.
Main Results:
- Found a wide range of orientation selectivity and attentional enhancement among LIP neurons.
- Cells with significant attentional enhancement showed less orientation selectivity.
- Orientation-selective cells exhibited working memory for preferred orientation, while attention-enhanced cells synchronized with local neuronal activity.
Conclusions:
- LIP neurons contribute to both feature-selective working memory and spatial attention.
- Suggests a two-stage model of selective attention where LIP supports both initial feature processing and focal spatial attention.
- LIP cells with orientation selectivity support working memory, while attention-enhanced cells synchronize to prioritize spatial information.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
10.1K
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,...
10.1K
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex
8.6K
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....
8.6K
01:23Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
3.4K
The somatosensory cortex in the parietal lobes is crucial for interpreting sensory data such as touch, temperature, and proprioception. The somatosensory cortex, situated in the parietal lobes, plays a vital role in interpreting sensory information like touch, temperature, and proprioception—awareness of body position. This specialized brain region features an organized structure wherein neurons at the top primarily process sensations originating from the lower body. In contrast, those at...
3.4K
01:22Lobes of the Cerebrum
5.2K
The cerebral cortex, a critical structure of the brain, is intricately divided into two hemispheres, each consisting of four distinct lobes: occipital, temporal, frontal, and parietal. These lobes function cooperatively to regulate various cognitive and sensory functions, forming the basis of our complex neural capabilities.
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
5.2K
01:24Vision
60.9K
Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
60.9K