Attention-induced neuronal activity in the monkey somatosensory cortex revealed by pupillometrics

Detection of a sensory stimulus is facilitated when attention is directed towards the stimulus source. Neuronal substrates for this psychological effect were studied in monkeys performing an attention-demanding task, by simultaneous recording of neuronal activity and pupillary dilation as an indicator of attentive state. We found that neurons in the postcentral somatosensory cortex (SI) started to discharge concurrent with the pupil dilation onset which occurred well before the somatosensory stimulus. Neuronal firing rates were positively correlated with the degree of dilation, suggesting that the SI neural activity is under the direct influence of the attentional process.