title: Long-Range Attention Networks: Circuit Motifs Underlying Endogenously Controlled Stimulus Selection.
abstract: Attention networks comprise brain areas whose coordinated activity implements stimulus selection. This selection is reflected in spatially referenced priority maps across frontal-parietal-collicular areas and is controlled through interactions with circuits representing behavioral goals, including prefrontal, cingulate, and striatal circuits, among others. We review how these goal-providing structures control stimulus selection through long-range dynamic projection motifs. These motifs (i) combine feature-tuned subnetworks to a distributed priority map, (ii) establish endogenously controlled, long-range coherent activity at 4-10 Hz theta and 12-30 Hz beta-band frequencies, and (iii) are composed of unique cell types implementing long-range networks through disynaptic disinhibition, dendritic gating, and feedforward inhibitory gain control. This evidence reveals common circuit motifs used to coordinate attentionally selected information across multi-node brain networks during goal-directed behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Centre for Vision Research, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, Ontario M6J 1P3, Canada. Electronic address: thiwom@yorku.ca.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Womelsdorf
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping, University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street North, Ontario N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Everling
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology*