title: Attention as an effect not a cause.
abstract: Attention is commonly thought to be important for managing the limited resources available in sensory areas of the neocortex. Here we present an alternative view that attention arises as a byproduct of circuits centered on the basal ganglia involved in value-based decision making. The central idea is that decision making depends on properly estimating the current state of the animal and its environment and that the weighted inputs to the currently prevailing estimate give rise to the filter-like properties of attention. After outlining this new framework, we describe findings from physiological, anatomical, computational, and clinical work that support this point of view. We conclude that the brain mechanisms responsible for attention employ a conserved circuit motif that predates the emergence of the neocortex.
authors: Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address: richard.krauzlis@nih.gov.
authors: Richard J
authors: RJ
authors: Krauzlis
authors: Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors: Anil
authors: A
authors: Bollimunta
authors: Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors: Fabrice
authors: F
authors: Arcizet
authors: Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors: Lupeng
authors: L
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009415:Nerve Net; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: attention; basal ganglia; decision making; learning; perception; superior colliculus