Acetylcholine contributes through muscarinic receptors to attentional modulation in V1

J. L. Herrero, M. J. Roberts, L. S. Delicato, M. A. Gieselmann, P. Dayan and A. Thiele ()
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J. L. Herrero: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
M. J. Roberts: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
L. S. Delicato: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
M. A. Gieselmann: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University
P. Dayan: Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, University College London, 17 Queens Square, London WCIN 3AR, UK
A. Thiele: Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University

Nature, 2008, vol. 454, issue 7208, 1110-1114

Abstract: Attention seeking: a role for acetylcholine If you find yourself needing to reread this paragraph, perhaps it's not that well written. Or it may be that you are low on acetylcholine. Cortical sensory processing is critically modulated by selective attention, but how this modulation is mediated is a long-standing unresolved issue. In tests in macaque monkeys trained to detect a flashing object but to ignore another one flashing nearby, the application of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine into the visual cortex enhanced the monkeys' performance. Applications of muscarinic — but not nicotinic — antagonists had the opposite effect. This suggests that this experiment may have pinpointed a brain mechanism that allows us to block out other stimuli while trying to concentrate on a particular thing.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature07141

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