Top-down control of visual cortex by the frontal eye fields through oscillatory realignment

Veniero, Domenica; Gross, Joachim; Morand, Stephanie; Duecker, Felix; Sack, Alexander T.; Thut, Gregor

Abstract

Voluntary allocation of visual attention is controlled by top-down signals generated within the Frontal Eye Fields (FEFs) that can change the excitability of lower-level visual areas. However, the mechanism through which this control is achieved remains elusive. Here, we emulated the generation of an attentional signal using single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to activate the FEFs and tracked its consequences over the visual cortex. First, we documented changes to brain oscillations using electroencephalography and found evidence for a phase reset over occipital sites at beta frequency. We then probed for perceptual consequences of this top-down triggered phase reset and assessed its anatomical specificity. We show that FEF activation leads to cyclic modulation of visual perception and extrastriate but not primary visual cortex excitability, again at beta frequency. We conclude that top-down signals originating in FEF causally shape visual cortex activity and perception through mechanisms of oscillatory realignment.

Citation

Veniero, D., Gross, J., Morand, S., Duecker, F., Sack, A. T., & Thut, G. (2021). Top-down control of visual cortex by the frontal eye fields through oscillatory realignment. Nature Communications, 12(1), Article 1757. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21979-7

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Feb 19, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Mar 19, 2021
• Publication Date: 2021-12
• Deposit Date: Mar 25, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 9, 2021
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 12
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 1757
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21979-7
• Keywords: General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; General Physics and Astronomy; General Chemistry
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/5403474
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-21979-7