title: Mechanisms of top-down attention.
abstract: Attention exhibits characteristic neural signatures in brain regions that process sensory signals. An important area of future research is to understand the nature of top-down signals that facilitate attentional guidance towards behaviorally relevant locations and features. In this review, we discuss recent studies that have made progress towards understanding: (i) the brain structures and circuits involved in attentional allocation; (ii) top-down attention pathways, particularly as elucidated by microstimulation and lesion studies; (iii) top-down modulatory influences involving subcortical structures and reward systems; (iv) plausible substrates and embodiments of top-down signals; and (v) information processing and theoretical constraints that might be helpful in guiding future experiments. Understanding top-down attention is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms by which we can filter sensory information to pay attention to the most behaviorally relevant events.
authors: Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors: Farhan
authors: F
authors: Baluch
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Itti
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*