Search bioRxiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/bioRxiv

bioRxiv · 10.1101/795567

Brain rhythms shift and deploy attention

Richter, C. G.·Bosman, C. A.·Vezoli, J.·Schoffelen, J.-M.·Fries, P.
View original source ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

One of the most central cognitive functions is attention. Its neuronal underpinnings have primarily been studied during conditions of sustained attention. Much less is known about the neuronal dynamics underlying the processes of shifting attention in space, as compared to maintaining it on one stimulus, and of deploying it to a particular stimulus. Here, we use ECoG to investigate four rhythms across large parts of the left hemisphere of two macaque monkeys during a task that allows investigation of deployment and shifting. Shifting involved a strong transient enhancement of power in a 2-7 Hz theta band in frontal, pre-motor and visual areas, and reductions of power in an 11-20 Hz beta band in a fronto-centro-parietal network and in a 29-36 Hz high-beta band in premotor cortex. Deployment of attention to the contralateral hemifield involved an enhancement of beta power in parietal areas, a concomitant reduction of high-beta power in pre-motor areas and an enhancement of power in a 60-76 Hz gamma band in extra-striate cortex. Effects due to shifting occurred earlier than effects due to deployment. These results demonstrate that the four investigated rhythms are involved in attentional allocation, with striking differences between shifting and deployment between different brain areas.\n\nSignificanceWe are often confronted by many visual stimuli, and attentional mechanisms select one stimulus for in-depth processing. This involves that attention is shifted between stimuli and deployed to one stimulus at a time. Prior studies have revealed that these processes are subserved by several brain rhythms. Therefore, we recorded brain activity in macaque monkeys with many electrodes distributed over large parts of their left hemisphere, while they performed a task that involved shifting and deploying attention. We found four dominant rhythms: theta (2-7 Hz), beta (11-20 Hz), high-beta (29-36 Hz) and gamma (60-76 Hz). Attentional shifting and deployment involved dynamic modulations in the strength of those rhythms with high specificity in space and time.

Explore related subjects

neurosciencePreprint

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Richter, C. G., Bosman, C. A., Vezoli, J., Schoffelen, J.-M., Fries, P.. 2019-10-07. Brain rhythms shift and deploy attention. https://doi.org/10.1101/795567

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related preprints

bioRxiv2026

Novel Tau Interaction Partners as Potential Biomarkers and Therapeutic Targets in Neurodegenerative Diseases

Alzheimers disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to cognitive decline and ultimately death. One of the main hallmarks of this disease is the accumulation of pathological tau protein into neurofibrillary tangles. To better understand these pathological mechanisms, it is essential to characterize the tau protein interactome in health and disease. In this study, we performed a yeast two-hybrid screening using a human brain cDNA library, from which we identified 15 novel tau-interacting proteins that bind to full-length human tau, or its fragments: the N-terminus, microtubule-binding domain, or C-terminus. We subsequently validated these novel interactions using in vitro co-immunoprecipitation and colocalization assays with both physiological and pathological tau isoforms. Furthermore, their interactions with the human tau protein were analyzed using surface plasmon resonance. Finally, an in silico interactome analysis of these newly discovered tau-binding partners revealed several additional interactors that can link them to downstream processes critical to neurodegenerative pathways Our findings offer fresh insights into tau biology and highlight novel targets for therapeutic intervention and biomarker development.

neuroscience↗
bioRxiv2026

Early visual cortex is not functionally necessary for temporal attention: A TMS study

Temporal attention enhances the selective processing of information at a specific point in time and improves perception. Previous neuroimaging studies investigating its neural mechanisms have either conflated temporal attention with temporal expectation or provided correlational evidence. Thus, whether early visual cortex is functionally necessary for temporal attention remains unknown. Here, we combined psychophysics with transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine whether V1/V2 are functionally necessary and play a causal role in temporal attention. Observers performed an orientation-discrimination task in which two consecutive stimuli, T1 and T2, were presented in the periphery, preceded by a precue providing either valid or neutral temporal information. Double-pulse TMS was delivered under four conditions: at T1 (T1-TMS), at T2 (T2-TMS), at both T1 and T2 (both-TMS), or not at all (none-TMS), to assess its effects on temporal attention and the efficacy of the stimulation was verified by pupil size analysis. Behavioral results revealed robust temporal attention benefits on d', reaction time, and the Balanced Integration Score (BIS) across all four TMS conditions, indicating that the benefits of temporal attention were unaffected by occipital TMS. Furthermore, pupil dilation was largest in the both-TMS condition, followed by the T1-TMS and T2-TMS conditions, and smallest in the none-TMS condition, providing physiological verification of the stimulation protocol. Together, these findings reveal the first causal evidence that the early visual cortex is not functionally necessary for endogenous temporal attention.

neuroscience↗
bioRxiv2026

Disentanglement of persistent and dynamic neural substrates of working memory

Competing theories of working memory have alternatively emphasized the importance of persistent and dynamic substrates of this cognitive function. Here, we directly tested these theories by computationally isolating the contributions of persistent and dynamic activity to working memory. We analyzed neuronal population activity recordings in macaques doing match/non-match working memory tasks. We first extracted signatures of persistent and dynamic activity through cue-specific temporal means, temporal principal components, and correlations of activity patterns across task epochs. We then generated synthetic data constrained by these signatures, and decoded cue stimuli from these data, separately from persistent and non-persistent neurons. We found that high decoding performance arose from a nuanced interplay of persistent and dynamic activity. Specifically, we could decode stimuli at empirical or above-chance levels across all tasks only from persistent neurons, but only after constraining correlations of activity patterns across epochs. In this way, we showed distinct roles for persistent and dynamic neuronal activity that help to unify two competing theories of working memory. More broadly, we also advanced computational controlled experiments as a principled framework for adjudicating between competing models of neuronal population activity.

neuroscience↗