CORTICAL MAPS · Spatiotopic maps in higher cortical areas in the human brain and their relation to spatial attention
6РП — Действия „Мария Кюри“
- Период
- 2006-08-01 → 2008-07-31
- Финансиране от ЕС
- 162 448 €
- Участници
- 1
- Схема
- EIF
Линиите свързват координатора с партньорите.
Накратко на български
Картите на зрителното пространство в човешкия мозък се проучват чрез наблюдение на невронната активност при гледане на движещи се обекти. Това помага да се разбере как различните зони в мозъка обработват информацията и как пространственото внимание влияе върху възприятието ни.
Кратко обяснение, генерирано от езиков модел по текста на CORDIS. Оригиналът е по-долу.
Резултати накратко
Final Activity Report Summary - CORTICAL MAPS (Spatiotopic maps in higher cortical areas in the human brain and their relation to spatial attention)
The visual cortex in primate brains contains maps of visual space, called cortical retinotopic maps: as a visual stimulus moves across visual space and the retina, the corresponding neural activity also moves along the cortical surface, thus forming a 'map' of visual space. The existence of these maps has long been known and they have been observed in the human brain using neuroimaging for over a decade. One new finding is that there are also maps of visual space in regions of the brain outside of early visual cortex. But why would there be multiple maps in various parts of the brain? What are their functional roles? Here we have investigated this question in humans using neuroimaging (fMRI). Using complex, meaningful stimuli (biological motion) and novel experimental paradigms we uncovered cortical maps in areas of cortex beyond early visual regions, in temporal, parietal, even frontal cortex. Additionally, we investigated how spatial attention modulates neural activity in these areas. The results indicate that cortical maps have different functional properties. Some allow us to represent important objects in the visual world whether or not we are attending to those stimuli, while others are only activated when we direct our attention to the stimuli. It appears that these maps and the interactions between them allow us to achieve the many perceptual and attentional states we experience every day.
Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз
Цел на проекта
Monkey and human brains contain multiple retinotopic maps of visual space in occipital cortex, which are known to be modulated by attentional signals. There is also evidence that retinotopy might exist in temporal visual areas (e.g., MT/MST, ventral stream).On the other hand, attentional control signals are thought to originate from more dorsal frontal and parietal areas. Although damage to parietal and frontal areas often results in spatially specific attentional deficits (e.g. contralateral neglect), it i s not clear whether these higher cortical areas also contain maps of visual space, and if so, how these different spatiotopic representations in different brain regions are related to each other.Here I propose to investigate this question in humans using functional MRI in healthy volunteers and in neurological patients, together with TMS in healthy volunteers. To do this I will develop novel fMRI paradigms to uncover spatiotopic representations in areas of cortex beyond early visual regions, by crucial modifications to established retinotopic mapping paradigms e.g. by using complex biologically relevant stimuli.Preliminary data has already been collected to ascertain the feasibility of this approach. I will then investigate how spatial attention modulates neural activity in these areas and whether any modulation follows similar principles to those seen in early visual cortex. To do this I will modify retinotopic mapping paradigms to permit attentional manipulations. Finally I will investigate any causal role for such spatiotopic higher-level areas in directing spatial attention and also their impact on remote but interconnected areas of visual cortex.This will involve studying patients with focal cortical damage and disorders of attention (behaviourally and with fMRI) and by temporary, reversible disruption of the same areas in neurologically healthy individuals (using TMS and concurrent TMS and fMRI).
Оригинален текст от CORDIS (на английски).
Участници
- UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON · LONDONКоординаторОбединеното кралство
Връзки
Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз