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Attention spotlight in V1-based cortico-cortical interactions in human visual hierarchy
Yanyu Zhang1, Xilin Zhang2,3, Xincheng Lu4
1Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
Scientific Reports
|June 7, 2024
Summary
Focal attention sharpens neural communication in the visual cortex, enhancing information transmission. However, this effect diminishes when visual crowding is high, showing context-dependent attention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Visual Perception
Background:
- Attention is conceptualized as a spotlight, modulating visual processing.
- Neural mechanisms underlying attentional modulation of information flow remain incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify a neural signature of the attention spotlight in signal transmission.
- To investigate how attention modulates connectivity in the human visual hierarchy.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) background connectivity analysis between V1 and downstream areas.
- Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) to assess feedback and feedforward connectivity.
- Comparison of focal versus diffused attention states.
Main Results:
- Focal attention sharpened the spatial gradient of background connectivity compared to diffused attention.
- Attention modulated both feedback and feedforward connectivity between V1 and extrastriate cortex.
- The attentional effect on connectivity was reduced in conditions of high visual crowding.
Conclusions:
- Attention prioritizes information transmission by modulating recurrent processing in early visual areas.
- Attentional effects on neural connectivity are context-dependent, influenced by factors like visual crowding.
- Findings reveal a neural basis for attention's role in visual information processing.
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