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Top-down enhancement and suppression of the magnitude and speed of neural activity.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gazzaley, A; Cooney, JW; McEvoy, K; Knight, RT; D'Esposito, M
Published in: J Cogn Neurosci
March 2005

Top-down modulation underlies our ability to selectively attend to relevant stimuli and to ignore irrelevant stimuli. Theories addressing neural mechanisms of top-down modulation are driven by studies that reveal increased magnitude of neural activity in response to directed attention, but are limited by a lack of data reporting modulation of neural processing speed, as well as comparisons with a perceptual (passive view) baseline necessary to evaluate the presence of enhancement and suppression. Utilizing functional MRI (fMRI) and event-related potential recordings (ERPs), we provide converging evidence that both the magnitude of neural activity and the speed of neural processing are modulated by top-down influences. Furthermore, both enhancement and suppression occur relative to a perceptual baseline depending on task instruction. These findings reveal the fine degree of influence that goal-directed attention exerts upon activity within the visual association cortex. We further document capacity limitations in top-down enhancement corresponding with working memory performance deficits.

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Published In

J Cogn Neurosci

DOI

ISSN

0898-929X

Publication Date

March 2005

Volume

17

Issue

3

Start / End Page

507 / 517

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Visual Cortex
  • Urea
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Reaction Time
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Peroxides
  • Neural Inhibition
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
 

Citation

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ICMJE
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Gazzaley, A., Cooney, J. W., McEvoy, K., Knight, R. T., & D’Esposito, M. (2005). Top-down enhancement and suppression of the magnitude and speed of neural activity. J Cogn Neurosci, 17(3), 507–517. https://doi.org/10.1162/0898929053279522
Gazzaley, Adam, Jeffrey W. Cooney, Kevin McEvoy, Robert T. Knight, and Mark D’Esposito. “Top-down enhancement and suppression of the magnitude and speed of neural activity.J Cogn Neurosci 17, no. 3 (March 2005): 507–17. https://doi.org/10.1162/0898929053279522.
Gazzaley A, Cooney JW, McEvoy K, Knight RT, D’Esposito M. Top-down enhancement and suppression of the magnitude and speed of neural activity. J Cogn Neurosci. 2005 Mar;17(3):507–17.
Gazzaley, Adam, et al. “Top-down enhancement and suppression of the magnitude and speed of neural activity.J Cogn Neurosci, vol. 17, no. 3, Mar. 2005, pp. 507–17. Pubmed, doi:10.1162/0898929053279522.
Gazzaley A, Cooney JW, McEvoy K, Knight RT, D’Esposito M. Top-down enhancement and suppression of the magnitude and speed of neural activity. J Cogn Neurosci. 2005 Mar;17(3):507–517.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Cogn Neurosci

DOI

ISSN

0898-929X

Publication Date

March 2005

Volume

17

Issue

3

Start / End Page

507 / 517

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Visual Cortex
  • Urea
  • Recognition, Psychology
  • Reaction Time
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Peroxides
  • Neural Inhibition
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging