Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Brain connectivity and visual attention.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Parks, EL; Madden, DJ
Published in: Brain Connect
2013

Emerging hypotheses suggest that efficient cognitive functioning requires the integration of separate, but interconnected cortical networks in the brain. Although task-related measures of brain activity suggest that a frontoparietal network is associated with the control of attention, little is known regarding how components within this distributed network act together or with other networks to achieve various attentional functions. This review considers both functional and structural studies of brain connectivity, as complemented by behavioral and task-related neuroimaging data. These studies show converging results: The frontal and parietal cortical regions are active together, over time, and identifiable frontoparietal networks are active in relation to specific task demands. However, the spontaneous, low-frequency fluctuations of brain activity that occur in the resting state, without specific task demands, also exhibit patterns of connectivity that closely resemble the task-related, frontoparietal attention networks. Both task-related and resting-state networks exhibit consistent relations to behavioral measures of attention. Further, anatomical structure, particularly white matter pathways as defined by diffusion tensor imaging, places constraints on intrinsic functional connectivity. Lastly, connectivity analyses applied to investigate cognitive differences across individuals in both healthy and diseased states suggest that disconnection of attentional networks is linked to deficits in cognitive functioning, and in extreme cases, to disorders of attention. Thus, comprehensive theories of visual attention and their clinical translation depend on the continued integration of behavioral, task-related neuroimaging, and brain connectivity measures.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

Brain Connect

DOI

EISSN

2158-0022

Publication Date

2013

Volume

3

Issue

4

Start / End Page

317 / 338

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Parietal Lobe
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Nerve Net
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Humans
  • Frontal Lobe
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Parks, E. L., & Madden, D. J. (2013). Brain connectivity and visual attention. Brain Connect, 3(4), 317–338. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2012.0139
Parks, Emily L., and David J. Madden. “Brain connectivity and visual attention.Brain Connect 3, no. 4 (2013): 317–38. https://doi.org/10.1089/brain.2012.0139.
Parks EL, Madden DJ. Brain connectivity and visual attention. Brain Connect. 2013;3(4):317–38.
Parks, Emily L., and David J. Madden. “Brain connectivity and visual attention.Brain Connect, vol. 3, no. 4, 2013, pp. 317–38. Pubmed, doi:10.1089/brain.2012.0139.
Parks EL, Madden DJ. Brain connectivity and visual attention. Brain Connect. 2013;3(4):317–338.
Journal cover image

Published In

Brain Connect

DOI

EISSN

2158-0022

Publication Date

2013

Volume

3

Issue

4

Start / End Page

317 / 338

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Visual Perception
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Parietal Lobe
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases
  • Nerve Net
  • Memory, Short-Term
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Humans
  • Frontal Lobe