Spatial re-orienting of visual attention along the horizontal or the vertical axis.
Neuroimaging data indicate functional segregation between voluntary and stimulus-driven control of spatial attention in dorsal and ventral fronto-parietal regions, respectively. While recent evidences demonstrated location-specific attentional effects in dorsal regions, little is known about any location or direction selectivity within the ventral network. Here, we used a spatial cueing paradigm to investigate stimulus-driven spatial re-orienting along different axes (horizontal or vertical). We found that re-orienting of attention activated the ventral attentional network, irrespective of axis-orientation. Statistical comparisons between homologous regions in the two hemispheres revealed significant main effects of attention re-orienting (common activation for the two hemispheres), irrespective of leftward or rightward re-orienting along the horizontal axis, or re-orienting along the vertical axis. We conclude that in healthy volunteers, a bilateral ventral network controls spatial covert re-orienting, and that this system is multidirectional.
Macaluso
E
E
Neuroimaging Laboratory, Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina, 306, 00179, Roma, Italy. e.macaluso@hsantalucia.it
Patria
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011930:Reaction Time; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*