Research Project Synopsis
One of the biggest challenges in Neuroscience today is to understand how the brain achieves flexible routing of information along selected neuronal populations according to behavioral demands. Attention is a prime example of a cognitive function that relies on such dynamic and selective routing of information by prioritizing behaviorally relevant inputs while filtering out irrelevant ones. Converging evidence from different approaches has suggested that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a critical part of an attentional control system that provides “top-down” signals, which modulate sensory processing in early visual areas in favor of attended stimuli. However, the role of distinct areas within PFC in attention and the neural mechanisms that mediate such selective communication and processing within the prefrontal-visual circuitry remain elusive. Some studies have suggested that oscillatory synchronization of neural activity provides a mechanism whereby activities of functionally related neuronal populations are coordinated to facilitate effective communication and integration. Nevertheless, a comprehensive understanding of how local and distant neuronal circuits and specific cell types contribute to long-range oscillatory synchrony between prefrontal and temporal visual areas in attention and memory is still missing.
In this project, we employ large-scale electrophysiological methods to address two broad questions. First, we assess whether and how neurons in different anatomical entities within PFC and different cell types process spatial and feature-based information that is used to direct attention to behaviorally relevant stimuli. Second, we examine the specificity of local (within PFC and visual cortex) and long-range (between PFC and visual cortex) neuronal interactions during different task epochs that have distinct cognitive demands. Our goal is to reveal how large-scale coordination of activity is implemented in the brain by anatomically distinct neural circuits.
The research project was supported by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) under the “1st Call for H.F.R.I. Research Projects to support Faculty Members & Researchers and the Procurement of High-and the procurement of high-cost research equipment grant” (Project Number: 41)