Ramezanpour Hamidreza, Fallah Mazyar
Centre for Vision Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Curr Res Neurobiol. 2022 Apr 12;3:100038. doi: 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100038. eCollection 2022.
Attention is an indispensable component of active vision. Contrary to the widely accepted notion that temporal cortex processing primarily focusses on passive object recognition, a series of very recent studies emphasize the role of temporal cortex structures, specifically the superior temporal sulcus (STS) and inferotemporal (IT) cortex, in guiding attention and implementing cognitive programs relevant for behavioral tasks. The goal of this theoretical paper is to advance the hypothesis that the temporal cortex attention network (TAN) entails necessary components to actively participate in attentional control in a flexible task-dependent manner. First, we will briefly discuss the general architecture of the temporal cortex with a focus on the STS and IT cortex of monkeys and their modulation with attention. Then we will review evidence from behavioral and neurophysiological studies that support their guidance of attention in the presence of cognitive control signals. Next, we propose a mechanistic framework for executive control of attention in the temporal cortex. Finally, we summarize the role of temporal cortex in implementing cognitive programs and discuss how they contribute to the dynamic nature of visual attention to ensure flexible behavior.
注意力是主动视觉不可或缺的组成部分。与广泛接受的观点（即颞叶皮质处理主要集中于被动的物体识别）相反，一系列最新研究强调了颞叶皮质结构，特别是颞上沟（STS）和颞下（IT）皮质在引导注意力以及执行与行为任务相关的认知程序方面的作用。这篇理论论文的目的是提出一个假设，即颞叶皮质注意力网络（TAN）具备必要组件，能够以灵活的任务依赖方式积极参与注意力控制。首先，我们将简要讨论颞叶皮质的总体架构，重点关注猴子的颞上沟和颞下皮质及其与注意力的调节关系。然后，我们将回顾行为学和神经生理学研究的证据，这些证据支持它们在存在认知控制信号时对注意力的引导作用。接下来，我们提出一个用于颞叶皮质注意力执行控制的机制框架。最后，我们总结颞叶皮质在执行认知程序中的作用，并讨论它们如何促进视觉注意力的动态特性以确保行为的灵活性。
