Unraveling Causal Mechanisms of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Visuospatial Attention with Non-invasive Brain Stimulation

Banerjee, Sanjna and Grover, Shrey and Sridharan, Devarajan (2017) Unraveling Causal Mechanisms of Top-Down and Bottom-Up Visuospatial Attention with Non-invasive Brain Stimulation. In: JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE, 97 (4). pp. 451-475.

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Abstract

Attention is a process of selection that allows us to intelligently navigate the abundance of information in our world. Attention can be either directed voluntarily based on internal goals-''top-down'' or goal-directed attention-or captured automatically, by salient stimuli-''bottom-up'' or stimulus-driven attention. Do these two modes of attention control arise from same or different brain circuits? Do they share similar or distinct neural mechanisms? In this review, we explore this dichotomy between the neural bases of top-down and bottom-up attention control, with a special emphasis on insights gained from non-invasive neurostimulation techniques, specifically, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS enables spatially focal and temporally precise manipulation of brain activity. We explore a significant literature devoted to investigating the role of fronto-parietal brain regions in top-down and bottom-up attention with TMS, and highlight key areas of convergence and debate. We also discuss recent advances in combinatorial paradigms that combine TMS with other imaging modalities, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalography. These paradigms are beginning to bridge essential gaps in our understanding of the neural pathways by which TMS affects behavior, and will prove invaluable for unraveling mechanisms of attention control, both in health and in disease.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	JOURNAL OF THE INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE
Publisher:	10.1007/s41745-017-0046-0
Additional Information:	Copy right for this article belongs to the INDIAN INST SCIENCE, INDIAN INST SCIENCE, BANGALORE 560012, INDIA
Department/Centre:	Division of Biological Sciences > Centre for Neuroscience
Date Deposited:	12 Jan 2018 07:35
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2018 07:35
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/58709

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