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Cited by 287Visual perception and processing mechanismsFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

Functional interactions between prefrontal and visual association cortex contribute to top-down modulation of visual processing

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Gazzaley, A., Rissman, J., Cooney, J., Rutman, A., Seibert, T., Clapp, W., D'Esposito, M.·2007·Cerebral Cortex
DOI 10.1093/cercor/bhm113PMC PMC4530799
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Abstract

Attention-dependent modulation of neural activity in visual association cortex (VAC) is thought to depend on top-down modulatory control signals emanating from the prefrontal cortex (PFC). In a previous functional magnetic resonance imaging study utilizing a working memory task, we demonstrated that activity levels in scene-selective VAC (ssVAC) regions can be enhanced above or suppressed below a passive viewing baseline level depending on whether scene stimuli were attended or ignored (Gazzaley, Cooney, McEvoy, et al. 2005). Here, we use functional connectivity analysis to identify possible sources of these modulatory influences by examining how network interactions with VAC are influenced by attentional goals at the time of encoding. Our findings reveal a network of regions that exhibit strong positive correlations with a ssVAC seed during all task conditions, including foci in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG). This PFC region is more correlated with the VAC seed when scenes were remembered and less correlated when scenes were ignored, relative to passive viewing. Moreover, the strength of MFG-VAC coupling correlates with the magnitude of attentional enhancement and suppression of VAC activity. Although our correlation analyses do not permit assessment of directionality, these findings suggest that PFC biases activity levels in VAC by adjusting the strength of functional coupling in accordance with stimulus relevance.

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  • This reflects the strength of coupling between these nodes and the tight functional integration between visual and prefrontal areas during visual attention tasks.

    “This reflects the strength of the coupling between these nodes and more generally the tight functional integration between visual and prefrontal areas during visual attention tasks (e.g., Desimone & Duncan 1995; Gazzaley et al. 2007).”

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Research works printed but not linked: 6

  1. Baddeley A. Working memory. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1986. [Google Scholar]
  2. Cooney JW, Gazzaley A, D’Esposito M. Frontal lobe strokes impair top-down modulation of visual processing: fMRI evidence. Soc Neurosci Abstr. 2005 Online. [Google Scholar]
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  4. Milner B. Effects of different brain regions on card sorting. Arch Neurol. 1963;9:90–100. [Google Scholar]
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Authors
Gazzaley, A., Rissman, J., Cooney, J., Rutman, A., Seibert, T., Clapp, W., & D'Esposito, M.
Affiliations
  • University of California, San Francisco (US)
  • University of California, Berkeley (US)
ORCID
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2007-08-27
Volume
17
Issue
suppl 1
Pages
i125-i135
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
DOI
10.1093/cercor/bhm113
PMC
PMC4530799
OpenAlex
W2157484753
Cited by
287
References
111
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 21 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 22 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 18
FWCI
8.18
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (K08AG025221, AG025221)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH063901, MH 63901)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NS40813, P01NS040813, F31NS053323)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Visual perception and processing mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
top-down modulation, visual association cortex, prefrontal cortex, attention, functional connectivity, middle frontal gyrus, working memory, neural network interactions, stimulus relevance
MeSH terms
Adult, Association, Cues, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Photic Stimulation, Psychomotor Performance, Visual Cortex, Visual Perception, Prefrontal Cortex, Recognition, Psychology

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