How frontal and parietal brain areas help you focus what you see
The functional role of frontal and parietal feedback to visual cortex in selective visual attention
This project looks at how signals from two brain regions help people with attention problems, like ADHD or autism, focus on important visual information.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285230 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you have trouble focusing on what you see, this research aims to learn how the brain boosts important sights and suppresses distractions. Scientists will record brain activity in macaque monkeys to track how two areas (the frontal eye fields and the lateral intraparietal area) send feedback to visual cortex (area V4) during spatial attention. The team will compare signals that enhance relevant locations versus those that suppress distractors to understand how these complementary processes work. Although the experiments use animals, the goal is to reveal mechanisms that underlie attention problems seen in ADHD, autism, and visual neglect after stroke.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This work is most relevant to people with attention difficulties such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, or visual neglect after stroke who are interested in future treatment advances.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatments or those without attention-related symptoms are unlikely to gain direct, short-term benefit from this animal-based research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could point to new brain targets or strategies for therapies that improve visual attention in conditions like ADHD, autism, or stroke-related neglect.
How similar studies have performed: Prior human and animal studies show these brain areas influence attention, but this project uses targeted recordings to more clearly separate how enhancement and suppression are driven, so it is building on established findings while addressing unresolved details.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- University of Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fiebelkorn, Ian C. — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Fiebelkorn, Ian C.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.