The interdependence of attention, working memory and gaze control: behavior and neural circuitry

Donatas Jonikaitis; Tirin Moore

doi:10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.012

The interdependence of attention, working memory and gaze control: behavior and neural circuitry

Curr Opin Psychol. 2019 Oct:29:126-134. doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.012. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

Authors

Donatas Jonikaitis¹, Tirin Moore²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. Electronic address: donatas@stanford.edu.
² Department of Neurobiology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. Electronic address: tirin@stanford.edu.

PMID: 30825836
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.01.012

Abstract

Visual attention, visual working memory, and gaze control are basic functions that all select a subset of visual input to guide immediate or subsequent behavior. In this review, we focus on the relationship between these three functions and describe evidence, both at the behavioral and neural circuit levels that they are heavily interdependent. We start with the demonstration that gaze control - or saccade preparation in particular - leads to spatial attention. Next, we show that spatial attention and working memory interact at the behavioral level and rely on a common set of neural mechanisms. Next, we discuss the evidence that gaze control mechanisms are involved in spatial working memory. Lastly, we highlight the links between gaze control and non-spatial memory.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Attention*
Behavior*
Humans
Memory, Short-Term*
Nerve Net / physiology*
Saccades*
Spatial Learning
Task Performance and Analysis
Visual Perception

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

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