Dopaminergic modulation of visual attention in the prefrontal cortex

Abstract

An essential cognitive ability that enables creatures to interpret pertinent information from their surroundings only is visual attention. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is involved in modulating visual attention, and this review focuses on the dopaminergic aspects of this process. The PFC is crucial for top-down attention management, improving visual responses, and coordinating neural activity. This is especially true of the frontal eye field (FEF). Dopamine is an important neuromodulator that directly influences the PFC's visual signal processing by adjusting sensory input and the variability of neuronal response. The substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) send dopaminergic pathways to the prefrontal cortex, where D1 and D2 receptors have different functions in attention regulation. Dopamine receptor modification has been shown in studies involving rodents and primates to have a major effect on visual attention and cognitive task performance. The exact mechanisms underlying dopamine's involvement in executive control are still unknown despite a great deal of research, which calls for more study, especially in rodent models. The present review highlights the significance of dopamine in the domain of high-level cognitive regulation and advocates for more investigation to clarify its mechanisms in visual attention.