title: Memory-guided attention in the anterior thalamus.
abstract: The anterior thalamus is densely connected with both the hippocampus and the prefrontal cortex. It is known to play a role in learning and episodic memory. Given its connectivity profile with the prefrontal cortex, it may also be expected to contribute to executive functions. Recent studies in both rodents and humans add to our understanding of anterior thalamic function, suggesting that it is a key region for allocating attention. We discuss the convergence between studies in rodents and humans, both of which imply that the anterior thalamus may play a key role in memory-guided attention. We suggest that efficient allocation of attention to memory representations requires interaction between the memory-related hippocampal and the attention related fronto-parietal networks. We further propose that the anterior thalamus is a hub that connects and modulates both systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Department of Neuropsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: leszczynski.marcin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leszczyński
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.staudigl@donders.ru.nl.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Staudigl
mesh_terms: D020643:Anterior Thalamic Nuclei; D001288:Attention; D006624:Hippocampus; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D008569:Memory Disorders
keywords: Anterior thalamic nuclei; Learning; Memory; Memory-guided attention