[Characteristics of the parietal cortex activation in humans during different attention tasks]

Abstract

The cortical activation was estimated by the event-related potential (ERPs) methods during selection tasks of lateralized visual stimuli requiring different forms of attention: 1) form of stimuli, 2) stimuli position, 3) combined attention of form and position. The ERPs were recorded in 15 young healthy adults in 6 leads P3, P4, T3, T4, T5, T6, and endogenous ERPs components: CNV (contingent negative variation), N1, P3 and the complex [N1-P3]. Differences between the ERPs at "attended" and "non-attended" stimuli were considered as indices of selection attention of particular feature of visual stimuli. Such indices of form and position were revealed selectivity in parietal leads. The most eminent ERPs components, the pronounced activation gradient during increase of attention demands were revealed in parietal regions (vs. temporal ones). In our opinion, parietal cortex has a high priority in selection attention system.