The role of the right frontal eye field in overt visual attention deployment as assessed by free visual exploration

Dario Cazzoli; Simon Jung; Thomas Nyffeler; Tobias Nef; Pascal Wurtz; Urs P Mosimann; René M Müri

doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.027

The role of the right frontal eye field in overt visual attention deployment as assessed by free visual exploration

Neuropsychologia. 2015 Jul:74:37-41. doi: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.027. Epub 2015 Jan 19.

Authors

Dario Cazzoli¹, Simon Jung², Thomas Nyffeler³, Tobias Nef⁴, Pascal Wurtz⁵, Urs P Mosimann⁶, René M Müri⁷

Affiliations

¹ Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: dario.cazzoli@artorg.unibe.ch.
² Perception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Clinical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
³ Perception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Clinical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Center of Neurology and Neurorehabilitation, Luzerner Kantonsspital, Lucerne, Switzerland.
⁴ Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
⁵ University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Perception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Clinical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
⁶ University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
⁷ Gerontechnology and Rehabilitation Group, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Perception and Eye Movement Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Clinical Research, University Hospital Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Center for Cognition, Learning and Memory, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

PMID: 25613645
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.01.027

Abstract

The frontal eye field (FEF) is known to be involved in saccade generation and visual attention control. Studies applying covert attentional orienting paradigms have shown that the right FEF is involved in attentional shifts to both the left and the right hemifield. In the current study, we aimed at examining the effects of inhibitory continuous theta burst (cTBS) transcranial magnetic stimulation over the right FEF on overt attentional orienting, as measured by a free visual exploration paradigm. In forty-two healthy subjects, free visual exploration of naturalistic pictures was tested in three conditions: (1) after cTBS over the right FEF; (2) after cTBS over a control site (vertex); and, (3) without any stimulation. The results showed that cTBS over the right FEF-but not cTBS over the vertex-triggered significant changes in the spatial distribution of the cumulative fixation duration. Compared to the group without stimulation and the group with cTBS over the vertex, cTBS over the right FEF decreased cumulative fixation duration in the left and in the right peripheral regions, and increased cumulative fixation duration in the central region. The present study supports the view that the right FEF is involved in the bilateral control of not only covert, but also of overt, peripheral visual attention.

Keywords: Attention; Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation (cTBS); Dorsal attentional network; Eye movements; Frontal Eye Field (FEF); Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Analysis of Variance
Attention / physiology*
Eye Movements / physiology
Female
Functional Laterality / physiology*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Parietal Lobe / physiology*
Photic Stimulation
Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation
Visual Fields / physiology*
Visual Perception / physiology*
Young Adult