Neurochemistry of Visual Attention

Abstract

Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up and top-down attentional biasing. Since for most humans vision is the dominant sense, visual attention is critically important for higher-order cognitive functions and related deficits are a core symptom of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we summarize the importance and relative contributions of different neuromodulators and neurotransmitters to the neural mechanisms of top-down and bottom-up attentional control. We will not only review the roles of widely accepted neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and noradrenaline, but also the contributions of other modulatory substances. In doing so, we hope to shed some light on the current understanding of the role of neurochemistry in shaping neuron properties contributing to the allocation of attention in the visual field.

Revealing the Neurobiology Underlying Interpersonal Neural Synchronization with Multimodal Data Fusion

“…173 In accordance with the association between INS and attention systems, GA-BAergic neurotransmission has previously been linked to general attentional processing and to visual attentional selectivity in particular. 174 Furthermore, parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, along with layer V pyramidal cells, have been shown to express 5-HT 2A receptors which we also found spatially related to INS. 175 Together with Ex3 (“granule”) excitatory neurons, which explained the largest amount of spatial INS information in the present study and were also located in cortical layer IV, 151 these INS-associated neuron classes may form thalamocortical feedforward inhibition circuits 172 between thalamocortical afferents, 176 GABAergic interneurons, and pyramidal cells which have crucial roles in encoding spatial and temporal sensory information.…”

Exome-wide analysis reveals role ofLRP1and additional novel loci in cognition

“…We find that variants in APOC1 and LRP1 act as significant eQTLs for regulating their expression in basal ganglia and cerebellar hemispheres (Supplementary Table 13), crucial to visual attention. 64 Our study is the first-ever evidence of LRP1 association with cognition. Furthermore, we find that six out of the eight LRP1 SNPs which interact with APOE are rare and remaining two are of low frequency.…”

“…We find that variants in APOC1 and LRP1 act as significant eQTLs for regulating their expression in basal ganglia and cerebellar hemispheres (Supplementary Table 13), crucial to visual attention. 64…”

“…Several studies have found oxytocin, synthesized in several nuclei of the hypothalamus, to regulate visual attention and eye movements to external sensory/social stimuli. 64 Additionally, studies have shown dopamine producing neurons in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra to be related to multiple aspects of visual attention. 64…”

“…64 Additionally, studies have shown dopamine producing neurons in the ventral tegmental area and substantia nigra to be related to multiple aspects of visual attention. 64…”