Fast and slow parietal pathways mediate spatial attention.
Mechanisms of selective attention are vital for guiding human behavior. The parietal cortex has long been recognized as a neural substrate of spatial attention, but the unique role of distinct parietal subregions has remained unclear. Using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation, we found that the angular gyrus of the right parietal cortex mediates spatial orienting during two distinct time periods after the onset of a behaviorally relevant event. The biphasic involvement of the angular gyrus suggests that both fast and slow visual pathways are necessary for orienting spatial attention.
Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. c.chambers@psych.unimelb.edu.au
Christopher D
CD
Chambers
Jonathan M
JM
Payne
Mark G
MG
Stokes
Jason B
JB
Mattingley
D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008280:Magnetics; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014794:Visual Fields / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*