Selective Attention Through Selective Neuronal Synchronization

Abstract

Selective attention relies on the dynamic restructuring of cortical information flow in order to prioritize neuronal communication from those neuronal groups conveying information about behaviorally relevant information, while reducing the influence from groups encoding irrelevant and distracting information. Electrophysiological evidence suggests that such selective neuronal communication is instantiated and sustained through selective neuronal synchronization of rhythmic gamma-band activity within and between neuronal groups: Attentionally modulated synchronization patterns evolve rapidly, are evident even before sensory inputs arrive, follow closely subjective readiness to process information in time, can be sustained for prolonged time periods, and carry specific information about top-down selected sensory features and motor aspects. These functional implications of selective synchronization patterns are complemented by recent insights about the mechanistic consequences of rhythmic synchronization, showing that selective neuronal interactions are subserved by neuronal synchronization that is selective in space, time, and frequency.