Neural correlates of spatial attention shifts in the medial superior parietal lobule of the macaque (v1)

Human fMRI and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) studies showed the involvement of superior parietal lobule (SPL) in covert shifts of attention. Despite hints from monkey electrophysiology and fMRI, little is known about the underlying neuronal mechanisms. Guided by monkey fMRI maps, we recorded single and multi-unit activity from a shift-selective region in medial SPL (parietal area V6A) of one rhesus monkey. We employed a covert selective spatial attention paradigm resembling those used in previous human and monkey fMRI experiments. We aimed to further investigate attention-related properties of parietal area V6A during spatial attention shifts and sustained attention at a fixed location, to increase our understanding of the neuronal basis underlying spatial attention shifts.