You Have My Undivided Attention

Abstract

Vision is arguably our most important sensory modality as how we interact with the world and how we learn is highly dependent on being able to see. However the visual world is complex and in order to effectively navigate through this environment the brain requires us to focus on the most important visual stimuli. This phenomenon is called visual attention. The brain network surrounding visual attention has garnered significant interest as it is present from birth and plays a crucial role in facilitating normal development of cognitive processes, learning and memory. Although we have identified many of the cortical areas which encode visual attention, the precise mechanisms of how these areas synergise to guide the eyes to focus on a particular object is still unknown. This research project has a focus in unravelling the subcortical brain areas which could serve as conduits in visual attention, in particular the pulvinar nucleus as there is increasing evidence that the pulvinar could be a key area in synchronising the cortical brain areas in attention. Through the use of optogenetics, a technique which gives us utility in turning neurons on or off with the application of light, our objective is to provide live causal evidence on the pulvinar's role in gating visual attention. Understanding pulvinar function and furthering our knowledge in the attentional network could lead to improved understanding of disorders where attention is greatly impacted such as ADHD, anxiety or schizophrenia.