What two regions of the cortex appear to cooperate with respect to visual attention and what forms of ‘distinction’ in spiking activity do they both exhibit?

 

1. Two of the features of hemineglect, the fact that it is graded and the fact that it is posturally dependent, have potential explanations in the observed dynamics of parietal cortex neurons.  Provide the proposed explanation for each.  Feel free to draw, but be sure to add labels.  This answer should take no more than 1 page to complete.

2. Name a parietal cortex sub-region whose firing dynamics might explain why hemineglect can be object-centered.

3. List two qualitatively different ways in which the basal forebrain projection to the cortex is more complex than that of the locus coeruleus.  This answer should take no more than1/2 page.

4. Based on the Aston-Jones paper available on the website, list three modes of locus coeruleus activity and the forms of behavior that they are proposed to accompany.  You’ll want to refer to exploitation/exploration and short-term/long-term utility.  Your answer may take up to 2/3’s of a page. (ARTICLE PROVIDED)

5. Name two brain regions that might determine which mode of locus coeruleus activity is observed.

6. What two regions of the cortex appear to cooperate with respect to visual attention and what forms of ‘distinction’ in spiking activity do they both exhibit?