Task-specific signal transmission from prefrontal cortex in visual selective attention.
Our voluntary behaviors are thought to be controlled by top-down signals from the prefrontal cortex that modulate neural processing in the posterior cortices according to the behavioral goal. However, we have insufficient evidence for the causal effect of the top-down signals. We applied a single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the human prefrontal cortex and measured the strength of the top-down signals as an increase in the efficiency of neural impulse transmission. The impulse induced by the stimulation transmitted to different posterior visual areas depending on the domain of visual features to which subjects attended. We also found that the amount of impulse transmission was associated with the level of attentional preparation and the performance of visual selective-attention tasks, consistent with the causal role of prefrontal top-down signals.
Morishima
Yosuke
Y
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Akaishi
Rei
R
Yamada
Yohei
Y
Okuda
Jiro
J
Toma
Keiichiro
K
Sakai
Katsuyuki
K
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009039:Motion Perception / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; D014794:Visual Fields; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult