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Attention: Behavior and Neural Mechanisms

Kenneth M. Heilman, Robert T. Watson, Edward Valenstein, Michael E. Goldberg

10.1002/cphy.cp010511

Source: Supplement 5: Handbook of Physiology, The Nervous System, Higher Functions of the Brain

Originally published: 1987

Published online: January 2011

Full Article on Wiley Online Library



Abstract

The sections in this article are:

1 Behavioral Enhancement of Sensory Response as a Physiological Analogue of Attentional Processes
2 Arousal
3 Selective Attention
3.1 Relationships Between Selective Attention and Arousal
4 Intention
4.1 Frontal Lobes
4.2 Centromedian‐Parafascicularis‐Frontocortical‐Thalamic Reticular Nucleus System
4.3 Catecholamine Systems
5 Hemispheric Asymmetries of Attention and Intention
5.1 Attention
5.2 Intention
6 Summary and Conclusions
Figure 1. Figure 1.

Spatial selectivity of enhancement in monkey superior colliculus. Top, cartoon illustrates receptive field of a collicular neuron in relation to fovea. RF, stimulus in receptive field of neuron. Receptive field outlined by dashed line; FP, fixation point at which monkey stares; CON, control stimulus outside receptive field. A: response of neuron as raster diagram and histogram to onset of visual stimuli during a task in which animal looks at fixation point and does not break gaze when the 2 other stimuli are flashed on screen; B: enhanced response to appearance of stimulus when monkey is going to make a saccade to RF; C: lack of enhancement to appearance of both stimuli when monkey is going to make a saccade to CON.

From Wurtz and Mohler 161
Figure 2. Figure 2.

Saccade‐related enhancement of visual responsiveness. A: response of a single neuron in monkey frontal eye fields to onset of spot of light in its receptive field. Raster and histogram are synchronized on stimulus onset, signified by vertical line. B: response of the neuron to same spot when monkey makes a saccade to fixate stimulus. Raster and histogram are synchronized on stimulus onset. C: same trials synchronized on the eye movement. Significant activity occurs before beginning of saccade.

From Goldberg and Bushnell 47
Figure 3. Figure 3.

Spatially nonselective enhancement of visual activity in monkey striate cortex. Top, cartoon illustrates location of receptive field (RF) and control stimuli (CON) on the screen. FP, fixation point at which monkey stares. A: cell's response‐ to stimuli. B: response when monkey makes a saccade to stimulus in RF. C: response when monkey makes a saccade to CON.

From Wurtz and Mohler 162
Figure 4. Figure 4.

Task‐independent, spatially selective enhancement of visual activity in monkey posterior parietal cortex. A: response to visual stimulus by a parietal neuron when monkey does not have to respond to stimulus. B: response of same neuron to same stimulus when monkey makes a saccade to stimulus. C: response of same neuron to same stimulus when monkey attends to but does not make a saccade to stimulus. Vertical lines, onset of stimulus.

From Bushnell et al. 24
Figure 5. Figure 5.

Effect of mesencephalic stimulation on visual responsiveness of neurons in striate cortex. Three neurons were studied; in each a visual or electrical stimulus of optic tract was presented. Stimuli were presented alone and also paired with a mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) electrical stimulus presented 75 ms before. A: response of neuron to flash (strobotron), MRF stimulation by flash after 75 ms (strobotron + MRF), and alone (MRF). B: response of another neuron to optic tract (OT), combined (OT + MRF), and alone (MRF). C: response of 3rd neuron to onset of light (on), onset and MRF stimulation (on + MRF), disappearance of light (off), disappearance combined with MRF (off + MRF), and alone (MRF).

From Bartlett and Doty 7
Figure 6. Figure 6.

Responses of parietal light‐sensitive neuron to visual stimuli when monkey was alert but not actively fixating, compared with those evoked by same stimulus when monkey was actively fixating. Raster‐histograms synchronized by onset of stimulus signified by vertical dotted lines. No‐task mode, monkey alert and resting. Task mode A, monkey fixating a spot of light. Task mode B, monkey fixating where a spot had been, but for interval of stimulus presentation, fixation point disappeared. Monkey nevertheless maintained fixation accurately, waiting for reappearance of fixation point. Black diamonds, bins in which response in no‐task mode differs significantly from responses in both task modes. Dotted lines above solid histograms, SEM for each bin.

From Mountcastle et al. 105
Figure 7. Figure 7.

Corticoreticular interactions: 1, polysynaptic reticulocortical pathways; 2, sensory transmission; 3, association cortex projections; 4, unimodal projections to reticular nucleus of the thalamus (NR); 5, sensory convergence to polymodal cortex; 6, supramodal cortex (inferior parietal lobule) and limbic connections; 7, cortical arousal through mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) and NR. STS, superior temporal sulcus; VIS, visual; AUD, auditory; SOM, somatosensory; VPL, ventralis posterolateral; MG, medial geniculate; LG, lateral geniculate.

From Watson et al. 156


Figure 1.

Spatial selectivity of enhancement in monkey superior colliculus. Top, cartoon illustrates receptive field of a collicular neuron in relation to fovea. RF, stimulus in receptive field of neuron. Receptive field outlined by dashed line; FP, fixation point at which monkey stares; CON, control stimulus outside receptive field. A: response of neuron as raster diagram and histogram to onset of visual stimuli during a task in which animal looks at fixation point and does not break gaze when the 2 other stimuli are flashed on screen; B: enhanced response to appearance of stimulus when monkey is going to make a saccade to RF; C: lack of enhancement to appearance of both stimuli when monkey is going to make a saccade to CON.

From Wurtz and Mohler 161


Figure 2.

Saccade‐related enhancement of visual responsiveness. A: response of a single neuron in monkey frontal eye fields to onset of spot of light in its receptive field. Raster and histogram are synchronized on stimulus onset, signified by vertical line. B: response of the neuron to same spot when monkey makes a saccade to fixate stimulus. Raster and histogram are synchronized on stimulus onset. C: same trials synchronized on the eye movement. Significant activity occurs before beginning of saccade.

From Goldberg and Bushnell 47


Figure 3.

Spatially nonselective enhancement of visual activity in monkey striate cortex. Top, cartoon illustrates location of receptive field (RF) and control stimuli (CON) on the screen. FP, fixation point at which monkey stares. A: cell's response‐ to stimuli. B: response when monkey makes a saccade to stimulus in RF. C: response when monkey makes a saccade to CON.

From Wurtz and Mohler 162


Figure 4.

Task‐independent, spatially selective enhancement of visual activity in monkey posterior parietal cortex. A: response to visual stimulus by a parietal neuron when monkey does not have to respond to stimulus. B: response of same neuron to same stimulus when monkey makes a saccade to stimulus. C: response of same neuron to same stimulus when monkey attends to but does not make a saccade to stimulus. Vertical lines, onset of stimulus.

From Bushnell et al. 24


Figure 5.

Effect of mesencephalic stimulation on visual responsiveness of neurons in striate cortex. Three neurons were studied; in each a visual or electrical stimulus of optic tract was presented. Stimuli were presented alone and also paired with a mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) electrical stimulus presented 75 ms before. A: response of neuron to flash (strobotron), MRF stimulation by flash after 75 ms (strobotron + MRF), and alone (MRF). B: response of another neuron to optic tract (OT), combined (OT + MRF), and alone (MRF). C: response of 3rd neuron to onset of light (on), onset and MRF stimulation (on + MRF), disappearance of light (off), disappearance combined with MRF (off + MRF), and alone (MRF).

From Bartlett and Doty 7


Figure 6.

Responses of parietal light‐sensitive neuron to visual stimuli when monkey was alert but not actively fixating, compared with those evoked by same stimulus when monkey was actively fixating. Raster‐histograms synchronized by onset of stimulus signified by vertical dotted lines. No‐task mode, monkey alert and resting. Task mode A, monkey fixating a spot of light. Task mode B, monkey fixating where a spot had been, but for interval of stimulus presentation, fixation point disappeared. Monkey nevertheless maintained fixation accurately, waiting for reappearance of fixation point. Black diamonds, bins in which response in no‐task mode differs significantly from responses in both task modes. Dotted lines above solid histograms, SEM for each bin.

From Mountcastle et al. 105


Figure 7.

Corticoreticular interactions: 1, polysynaptic reticulocortical pathways; 2, sensory transmission; 3, association cortex projections; 4, unimodal projections to reticular nucleus of the thalamus (NR); 5, sensory convergence to polymodal cortex; 6, supramodal cortex (inferior parietal lobule) and limbic connections; 7, cortical arousal through mesencephalic reticular formation (MRF) and NR. STS, superior temporal sulcus; VIS, visual; AUD, auditory; SOM, somatosensory; VPL, ventralis posterolateral; MG, medial geniculate; LG, lateral geniculate.

From Watson et al. 156
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Article Title: Attention: Behavior and Neural Mechanisms
 

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Kenneth M. Heilman, Robert T. Watson, Edward Valenstein, Michael E. Goldberg. Attention: Behavior and Neural Mechanisms. Compr Physiol 2011, Supplement 5: Handbook of Physiology, The Nervous System, Higher Functions of the Brain: 461-481. First published in print 1987. doi: 10.1002/cphy.cp010511