Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 16, 2026
Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
Published on: July 5, 2015
Representation of top-down versus bottom-up attention in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and superior
Qiuzhu Zhang1, Wenjuan Li1, Tingting Zhang1
1MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, Brain-Computer Interface & Brain-Inspired Intelligence Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Center for Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, 610054, China.
Background:
Visual selective attention can be categorized into top-down (goal-driven) and bottom-up (stimulus-driven) attention, with the fronto-parietal network serving as the primary neural substrate. However, fewer studies have focused on the specific roles of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and superior parietal lobule (SPL) in top-down and bottom-up attention. This study aimed to investigate the activity and connectivity of the right DLPFC and SPL in top-down and bottom-up attention.
Methods:
Visual pop-out task mainly induces bottom-up attention, while the visual search task mainly induces top-down attention. Fifty-four participants completed the pop-out and search tasks during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We used univariate analyses, multivariate pattern analyses (MVPA), and generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) to assess activity and functional connectivity.
Results:
Univariate analyses revealed stronger activation in the right DLPFC and SPL during the search > pop-out condition. The activation of the DLPFC was driven by its deactivation in the pop-out task, whereas the SPL showed significant activation in both tasks. MVPA demonstrated that activation patterns in the right DLPFC and SPL could distinguish between the pop-out and search tasks above chance level (0.5), with the right SPL exhibiting higher classification accuracy. The gPPI analyses showed that higher functional connectivity between the two seeds (right DLPFC and SPL) and bilateral precentral gyrus, left SPL, and right insula.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that the right DLPFC and SPL showed stronger activity and connectivity under top-down versus bottom-up attention, allowing for neural representation of visual selective attention. This study provides evidence for understanding the role of the fronto-parietal network in visual selective attention.
More Related Videos
13:00Measuring Attention and Visual Processing Speed by Model-based Analysis of Temporal-order Judgments
Published on: January 23, 2017
05:36Central and Divided Visual Field Presentation of Emotional Images to Measure Hemispheric Differences in Motivated Attention
Published on: November 16, 2017
Related Concept Videos
01:22Lobes of the Cerebrum
Frontal lobe
The frontal lobes, located behind the forehead, are the command center of our brain, controlling personality, intelligence, and voluntary muscle movements....
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
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,...
01:23Somatosensory, Motor, and Association Cortex
01:28Lateralization
01:14Motor and Sensory Areas of the 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....
01:05Cerebral Hemispheres