Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention

The attentional priority map plays a key role in the distribution of attention, and is modulated by bottom-up sensory as well as top-down task-dependent factors. The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) is a key candidate to hold a neural representation of the attentional priority map. In the current study, w...

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Main Authors: Tianlu Wang, Lena M. Hofbauer, Dante Mantini, Céline R. Gillebert
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2021-09-01
Series:NeuroImage: Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956021000374
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author Tianlu Wang
Lena M. Hofbauer
Dante Mantini
Céline R. Gillebert
author_facet Tianlu Wang
Lena M. Hofbauer
Dante Mantini
Céline R. Gillebert
author_sort Tianlu Wang
collection DOAJ
description The attentional priority map plays a key role in the distribution of attention, and is modulated by bottom-up sensory as well as top-down task-dependent factors. The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) is a key candidate to hold a neural representation of the attentional priority map. In the current study, we examined the role of the IPS during covert attention to spatial locations with high or low eccentricity in one or both visual hemifields. To this end, eighteen neurologically healthy participants performed a cued letter discrimination task in which they were endogenously cued to attend to a location at a 5 or 10° eccentricity in the left and/or right visual field. We briefly presented a four-letter target array and subsequently probed perceptual performance while acquiring event-related functional MRI data. While behavioural results showed greater letter discrimination performance at the low eccentricity compared to the high eccentricity location, no neural effect of eccentricity was observed. The results further showed that attending to one visual hemifield produced higher activation in the left parietal and occipital cortex compared to attending bilaterally. Future studies may consider increasing the involvement of top-down control of attention to the cued location to study the neural effect of eccentricity, e.g., through manipulating the task difficulty.
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spelling doaj-art-34ba3f0f74b04d238f8eac68d50459a52025-08-20T03:49:17ZengElsevierNeuroImage: Reports2666-95602021-09-011310003910.1016/j.ynirp.2021.100039Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attentionTianlu Wang0Lena M. Hofbauer1Dante Mantini2Céline R. Gillebert3Department of Brain and Cognition, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumDepartment of Brain and Cognition, KU Leuven, Leuven, BelgiumResearch Centre for Motor Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Brain Imaging and Neural Dynamics Research Group, IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, ItalyDepartment of Brain and Cognition, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Brain Institute, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Corresponding author. Céline R. Gillebert, Tiensestraat 102 – box 3711, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;The attentional priority map plays a key role in the distribution of attention, and is modulated by bottom-up sensory as well as top-down task-dependent factors. The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) is a key candidate to hold a neural representation of the attentional priority map. In the current study, we examined the role of the IPS during covert attention to spatial locations with high or low eccentricity in one or both visual hemifields. To this end, eighteen neurologically healthy participants performed a cued letter discrimination task in which they were endogenously cued to attend to a location at a 5 or 10° eccentricity in the left and/or right visual field. We briefly presented a four-letter target array and subsequently probed perceptual performance while acquiring event-related functional MRI data. While behavioural results showed greater letter discrimination performance at the low eccentricity compared to the high eccentricity location, no neural effect of eccentricity was observed. The results further showed that attending to one visual hemifield produced higher activation in the left parietal and occipital cortex compared to attending bilaterally. Future studies may consider increasing the involvement of top-down control of attention to the cued location to study the neural effect of eccentricity, e.g., through manipulating the task difficulty.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956021000374AttentionEccentricityfMRIIntraparietal sulcusVisual field
spellingShingle Tianlu Wang
Lena M. Hofbauer
Dante Mantini
Céline R. Gillebert
Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
NeuroImage: Reports
Attention
Eccentricity
fMRI
Intraparietal sulcus
Visual field
title Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
title_full Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
title_fullStr Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
title_full_unstemmed Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
title_short Behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
title_sort behavioural and neural effects of eccentricity and visual field during covert visuospatial attention
topic Attention
Eccentricity
fMRI
Intraparietal sulcus
Visual field
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956021000374
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AT lenamhofbauer behaviouralandneuraleffectsofeccentricityandvisualfieldduringcovertvisuospatialattention
AT dantemantini behaviouralandneuraleffectsofeccentricityandvisualfieldduringcovertvisuospatialattention
AT celinergillebert behaviouralandneuraleffectsofeccentricityandvisualfieldduringcovertvisuospatialattention