The fusiform face area (FFA) is a cortical region specifically responsible for face processing. When participants in an experiment were asked to direct their attention towards the faces displayed, attention-related enhancement was seen in the FFA.

Fusiform Face Area

The parahippocampal place area (PPA) is a cortical region specifically responsible for location processing. When participants in an experiment were asked to direct their attention towards the houses displayed, attention-related enhancement was seen in the PPA.

Parahippocampal Place Area

Selective attention to a cell's receptive field globally enhances or suppresses responses, increasing or decreasing the firing of that cell. Attention could also sharpen the tuning of cortical neurons, causing them to focus more keenly on specific stimuli. Attention could also induce a shift in tuning of the cell, indicating a change in the cell's preferred stimulus

Attention Alters the Functioning of Individual Neurons

Single cell recordings have implicated the superior colliculus, a midbrain structure, in the movement of the eyes toward objects of attention, especially overt attention. Collicular neurons are particularly sensitive to relative motion in any direction, perhaps because of the visual aspects of moving gaze around.

Substrates of Attention: Superior Colliculus

The pulvinar, making up approximately the posterior quarter of the thalamus in humans, is heavily involved in visual processing, is organized retinotopically, and shares extensive connections with the superior colliculus, parietal cortex, and cingulate.The pulvinar is important for the orienting and shifting of attention.

Substrates of Attention: Pulvinar

The extensive connections between subcortical attention systems and regions of the parietal lobes, along with clinical observations, suggest that parietal cortex plays a special role in controlling attention. We can go even further in saying that some cells in parietal cortex behave as though they are preparing to direct a shift of attention. 

Cortical Substrates of Attention

- FFA and PPA
- Attention Alters the Functioning of Individual Neurons
- Superior Colliculus
- Pulvinar
- Other Cortical Substrates of Attention

New York University

PET and fMRI studies have confirmed that a general consequence of attention is an enhancement of activity of the brain regions that process key aspects of the target stimuli.

Neuroanatomical Substrates of Attention

Breedlove, S. & Watson, N. (2017). Behavioral neuroscience, eighth edition. Oxford University Press.

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