White matter microstructure of attentional networks predicts attention and consciousness functional interactions.
Ana B Chica, Michel Thiebaut De Schotten, Paolo Bartolomeo, Pedro M Paz-Alonso
Brain Structure and Function March 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1511-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional multimodal neuroimaging study (fMRI and diffusion-weighted imaging) Longitudinal Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Keywords | Consciousness Exogenous attention Phasic alerting FMRI |
| Key findings | The authors report that left-hemisphere SLF III white matter integrity differentially predicts how two attentional systems interact with conscious perception: reduced integrity predicted neural interactions for exogenous orienting, whereas increased integrity predicted interactions for phasic alerting. They conclude that white matter structural properties shape attentional modulation of conscious perception. |
Abstract
Attention is considered as one of the pre-requisites of conscious perception. Phasic alerting and exogenous orienting improve conscious perception of near-threshold information through segregated brain networks. Using a multimodal neuroimaging approach, combining data from functional MRI (fMRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), we investigated the influence of white matter properties of the ventral branch of superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF III) in functional interactions between attentional systems and conscious perception. Results revealed that (1) reduced integrity of the left hemisphere SLF III was predictive of the neural interactions observed between exogenous orienting and conscious perception, and (2) increased integrity of the left hemisphere SLF III was predictive of the neural interactions observed between phasic alerting and conscious perception. Our results combining fMRI and DWI data demonstrate that structural properties of the white matter organization determine attentional modulations over conscious perception.
Citations in the library
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and 6 more in the library