Work

Functional Organization of Human Intraparietal and Frontal Cortex for Attending, Looking, and Pointing

Year: 2003

Type: article

Abstract: We studied the functional organization of human posterior parietal and frontal cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map preparatory signals for attending, looking, and pointing to a peripheral visual location. The human frontal eye field and two separate regions in the intraparietal sulcus were similarly recruited in all conditions, suggesting an attentional role that generalizes across response effectors. However, the preparation of a pointing movement selectively activated a different group of regions, suggesting a stronger role in motor planning. These regions were lateralized to the left hemisphere, activated by preparation of movements of either hand, and included the inferior and superior parietal lobule, precuneus, and posterior superior temporal sulcus, plus the dorsal premotor and anterior cingulate cortex anteriorly. Surface-based registration of macaque cortical areas onto the map of fMRI responses suggests a relatively good spatial correspondence between human and macaque parietal areas. In contrast, large interspecies differences were noted in the topography of frontal areas.

Source: Journal of Neuroscience

DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.23-11-04689.2003

Authors: Serguei V. Astafiev, Gordon L. Shulman, Christine M. Stanley, Abraham Z. Snyder, David C. Van Essen, Maurizio Corbetta

Institution: Washington University in St. Louis

Language: English

Topic: Visual perception and processing mechanisms

Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

Open Access status: bronze