Visual+Attention

Attention and visual fixation

Brain Regions Involved
-Inferior temporal Lobe -Superior parietal and frontal eye fields -Midbrain colliculi -Thalamic nuclei

**Process:**
Attention requires that visual fixation be focused. Many ITL neurons maintain large bilateral visual fields, when engaged in visual fixation these cells appear to become partly suppressed being restricted to the fovea

Hence, ITL neurons seems to scan the entire visual field so as to alert the organism to objects of interest or motivational importance (via interconnections with limbic nuclei). When detected, the frontal eye fields, the superior parietal lobe, and subcortical neurons are activated triggering visual fixation. Simultaneously, ITL visual form recognition neurons are activated whereas those with wide non-specific visual fields are inhibited. In this manner, objects of interest are detected and fixated upon

Of adjunctive importance is the middle temporal lobe which in turn can analyze the velocity and direction of the objects movement so that the individual may approach, and, via interaction with cells in area 7, grasp and manipulate the object.