Task-specific and feature dimension-based attentional modulation of neural responses in visual area MT B Schledde, F O Galashan, A K Kreiter, D Wegener |
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Theoretical Neurobiology, Institute for Brain Research, University of Bremen, Germany
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| Visual attention modulates neuronal responses in early visual cortex based on spatial location, object affiliation and features. However, it is not clear how task-specific requirements on visual perception influence the recruitment of these attentional mechanisms. For example, if the task requires the detection of a motion change, are motion-sensitive neurons activated differently than for a task in which motion is not important? We investigated this issue by recording from visual area MT neurons. The monkey had to detect either a speed or a color change of a Gabor stimulus at a pre-cued spatial location. When the monkey attended the speed change of the stimulus, MT neurons exhibited higher firing rates and reduced latencies as compared to attending the color change of the otherwise physically identical stimulus. Interestingly, we found that this attentional modulation is independent of motion direction and spatial location. Our results suggest that attention modulates neural activity in a dynamic manner dependent on the task requirements and resulting in a specific attentional modulation of the cortical module processing the selected feature dimension. |
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