Related Experiment Videos
Functional localization of the system for visuospatial attention using positron emission tomography
A C Nobre1, G N Sebestyen, D R Gitelman
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, UK.
Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|March 1, 1997
Summary
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging revealed a specialized neural system for visuospatial attention. This system involves distinct brain regions, including the parietal cortex, supporting both reflexive and controlled attention shifts.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Visuospatial attention is crucial for processing environmental information.
- Understanding the neural basis of attention is a key area in cognitive neuroscience.
- Previous studies suggested a distributed network for spatial attention, but high-resolution imaging was needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To image the neural system underlying visuospatial attention using Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
- To achieve superior anatomical resolution in mapping attention-related brain activity.
- To investigate the functional specialization within the visuospatial attention network.
Main Methods:
- PET imaging was employed to visualize brain activity during specific attention tasks.
- Six right-handed male subjects participated.
- Tasks involved covert shifts of attention, differentiating between reflexive and controlled attention mechanisms.
Main Results:
- PET activations closely matched proposed cortical regions for spatial attention.
- Both attention tasks elicited largely overlapping patterns of neural activation.
- Neocortical activations were identified in the right anterior cingulate gyrus (Brodmann area 24), intraparietal sulcus, and premotor cortices (Brodmann area 6).
Conclusions:
- A general neural system for visuospatial attention exists.
- This system demonstrates regional functional specialization.
- The findings support a network model of spatial attention involving specific cortical areas.