Neuroimaging Approaches to the Study of Visual Attention

Selective attention is a core cognitive ability that enables organisms to effectively process and respond to relevant information while ignoring distracting events. Elucidating the neural bases of selective attention remains a key challenge for neuroscience and represents an essential goal of translational efforts to ameliorate attentional deficits in a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders. Knowledge of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of attention is crucial for the development and refinement of brain-machine interfaces. In addition, the relevance of attention mechanisms also extends to training and education methods. A more nuanced understanding could enable the development of more effective strategies and programs, enriching the educational landscape. This chapter will examine how functional imaging methods, with a primary focus on fMRI, have deepened our understanding of core aspects of attention, such as how attention is controlled, focused on relevant inputs, and reoriented, and how this control leads to the selection of relevant information. The most relevant studies will be reviewed with a focus on fMRI methods. However, a discussion of electromagnetic recording methods used in conjunction with fMRI, including simultaneous EEG/fMRI methods, will also be included where appropriate.