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Cortical and Subcortical Contributions to Long-Term Memory-Guided Visuospatial Attention
Maya L Rosen1,2, Chantal E Stern1,3, Kathryn J Devaney1
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Room 149C, Boston, MA, USA.
Cerebral Cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991)
|October 3, 2017
Summary
Long-term memory (LTM) guides visual attention by recruiting specific brain regions. This study identifies a novel Memory-Attention Network crucial for integrating memory and sensory information to direct focus.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Long-term memory (LTM) is vital for directing attention.
- The specific brain networks supporting LTM-guided visual attention remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify the neural substrates involved in LTM-guided visual attention.
- To differentiate LTM-guided attention from stimulus-guided attention and memory retrieval alone.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments.
- Comparison of LTM-guided attention with stimulus-guided attention and memory retrieval tasks.
- Analysis of resting-state functional connectivity to define brain networks.
Main Results:
- Selective recruitment of bilateral posterior callosal sulcus, posterior precuneus, and lateral intraparietal sulcus for LTM-guided attention.
- Activation of subcortical regions including the caudate head, mediodorsal thalamus, and cerebellar lobule VI/Crus I.
- Identification of a distinct network beyond typical cognitive control regions.
Conclusions:
- Propose a novel Memory-Attention Network integrating mnemonic and stimulus-based representations.
- This network is recruited for guiding attention based on long-term memory.
- Findings offer insights into how memory retrieval influences attentional deployment.
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