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Attentional processing in the rat dorsal posterior parietal cortex.
Victoria R Heimer-McGinn1, Taylor B Wise2, Emma R Halter3
1Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, Providence College, United States; Department of Psychology, Roger Williams University, United States.
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
|November 1, 2024
Summary
Rodent dorsal posterior parietal cortex (dPPC) lesions impair sustained attention and processing speed. Compensatory mechanisms aid recovery, but at a cost to response speed, suggesting dPPC
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Animal Models
Background:
- The human posterior parietal cortex (PPC) is crucial for sustained attention, with dorsal regions supporting top-down processing and ventral regions bottom-up.
- The role of the rodent PPC in sustained attention and potential functional dissociation between its subregions remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contribution of the dorsal PPC (dPPC) in sustained attention in a rodent model.
- To explore potential functional dissociation between top-down and bottom-up attentional processing within the rodent PPC.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the five-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) in rats.
- Compared behavioral performance between rats with neurotoxic dPPC lesions and sham-operated controls.
Main Results:
- dPPC-lesioned rats initially showed impaired accuracy and slower processing speed.
- Elevated omissions post-recovery suggested sustained attention deficits, independent of motivation or mobility changes.
- Lesioned rats exhibited globally increased response latency, indicating reduced processing speed without affecting impulsivity or compulsivity.
Conclusions:
- The rodent dPPC is involved in regulating sustained attention, particularly supporting goal-driven (top-down) attention.
- Evidence suggests a functional dissociation within the rodent PPC for top-down versus bottom-up attentional processing.
- Compensatory mechanisms can support sustained attention after dPPC damage, but with a deficit in processing speed.
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