The Pulvinar Regulates Information Transmission Between Cortical Areas Based on Attention Demands

TLDR

Selective attention mechanisms route behaviorally relevant information through large‑scale cortical networks, yet the means by which cortical synchrony across a network is achieved remain unclear. The study hypothesizes that the pulvinar, a thalamic nucleus, regulates cortical synchrony based on its anatomical connectivity with the cortex. The authors mapped pulvino‑cortical networks with diffusion tensor imaging and recorded spikes and field potentials in monkeys during a visuospatial attention task. Pulvinar activity synchronized interconnected cortical areas in line with attentional allocation, indicating a key role for the thalamus in regulating information transmission across the visual cortex.

Abstract

Selective attention mechanisms route behaviorally relevant information through large-scale cortical networks. Although evidence suggests that populations of cortical neurons synchronize their activity to preferentially transmit information about attentional priorities, it is unclear how cortical synchrony across a network is accomplished. Based on its anatomical connectivity with the cortex, we hypothesized that the pulvinar, a thalamic nucleus, regulates cortical synchrony. We mapped pulvino-cortical networks within the visual system, using diffusion tensor imaging, and simultaneously recorded spikes and field potentials from these interconnected network sites in monkeys performing a visuospatial attention task. The pulvinar synchronized activity between interconnected cortical areas according to attentional allocation, suggesting a critical role for the thalamus not only in attentional selection but more generally in regulating information transmission across the visual cortex.