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Causal phase-dependent control of non-spatial attention in human prefrontal cortex

Author

Listed:
  • Jeroen Brus

    (ETH Zurich
    Neuroscience Center Zurich)

  • Joseph A. Heng

    (ETH Zurich
    Neuroscience Center Zurich)

  • Valeriia Beliaeva

    (ETH Zurich
    Neuroscience Center Zurich)

  • Fabian Gonzalez Pinto

    (ETH Zurich
    Neuroscience Center Zurich)

  • Antonino Mario Cassarà

    (Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT’IS))

  • Esra Neufeld

    (Foundation for Research on Information Technologies in Society (IT’IS))

  • Marcus Grueschow

    (University of Zurich)

  • Lukas Imbach

    (Swiss Epilepsy Center (Klinik Lengg))

  • Rafael Polanía

    (ETH Zurich
    Neuroscience Center Zurich)

Abstract

Non-spatial attention is a fundamental cognitive mechanism that allows organisms to orient the focus of conscious awareness towards sensory information that is relevant to a behavioural goal while shifting it away from irrelevant stimuli. It has been suggested that attention is regulated by the ongoing phase of slow excitability fluctuations of neural activity in the prefrontal cortex, a hypothesis that has been challenged with no consensus. Here we developed a behavioural and non-invasive stimulation paradigm aiming at modulating slow excitability fluctuations of the inferior frontal junction. Using this approach, we show that non-spatial attention can be selectively modulated as a function of the ongoing phase of exogenously modulated excitability states of this brain structure. These results demonstrate that non-spatial attention relies on ongoing prefrontal excitability states, which are probably regulated by slow oscillatory dynamics, that orchestrate goal-oriented behaviour.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeroen Brus & Joseph A. Heng & Valeriia Beliaeva & Fabian Gonzalez Pinto & Antonino Mario Cassarà & Esra Neufeld & Marcus Grueschow & Lukas Imbach & Rafael Polanía, 2024. "Causal phase-dependent control of non-spatial attention in human prefrontal cortex," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 8(4), pages 743-757, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nathum:v:8:y:2024:i:4:d:10.1038_s41562-024-01820-z
    DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01820-z
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Matthew F. Panichello & Timothy J. Buschman, 2021. "Shared mechanisms underlie the control of working memory and attention," Nature, Nature, vol. 592(7855), pages 601-605, April.
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