Time course of attention reveals different mechanisms for spatial and feature-based attention in area V4

Benjamin Y. Hayden, Jack L. Gallant

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

109 Scopus citations

Abstract

Attention can facilitate visual processing, emphasizing specific locations and highlighting stimuli containing specific features. To dissociate the mechanisms of spatial and feature-based attention, we compared the time course of visually evoked responses under different attention conditions. We recorded from single neurons in area V4 during a delayed match-to-sample task that controlled both spatial and feature-based attention. Neuronal responses increased when spatial attention was directed toward the receptive field and were modulated by the identity of the target of feature-based attention. Modulation by spatial attention was weaker during the early portion of the visual response and stronger during the later portion of the response. In contrast, modulation by feature-based attention was relatively constant throughout the response. It appears that stimulus onset transients disrupt spatial attention, but not feature attention. We conclude that spatial attention reflects a combination of stimulus-driven and goal-driven processes, while feature-based attention is purely goal driven.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)637-643
Number of pages7
JournalNeuron
Volume47
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2005

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work was supported by grants to J.L.G. from the NEI and NIMH. We thank James Mazer for development of the neurophysiology software suite; and James Mazer, Stephen David, and Kate Gustavsen for advice on experimental design and data analysis.

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