# Functions of the thalamus in attention and perception

> **NIH NIH R01** · PRINCETON UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $410,063

## Abstract

The visual thalamus has been extensively studied in terms of its anatomical organization, connectivity patterns,
and basic neural response properties. However, its role in perception and cognition has remained poorly
understood. The present application is a competing renewal submission for our grant “Functions of the
thalamus in perception and cognition” (RO1-EY017699). Work during the previous funding period has (i)
characterized the topographic organization and functional response properties of the human pulvinar using
high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and (ii) defined a functional role of the macaque
pulvinar in spatial selective attention using simultaneous multi-site recordings. The present application extends
this work to investigate a causal role for the macaque pulvinar in attentional control. The pulvinar is the largest
nucleus in the primate thalamus and is considered a higher-order thalamic nucleus, because it forms input-
output loops almost exclusively with the cortex. From an anatomical perspective, the pulvinar is ideally
positioned to regulate the transmission of information to the cortex and between cortical areas to influence
perceptual and cognitive processes. Evidence from lesion studies in humans and monkeys demonstrate a
critical involvement of the pulvinar in a number of fundamental cognitive functions, including orienting
responses and the exploration of visual space, the filtering of unwanted information, and visually-guided
behavior. Our studies during the last funding cycle have begun to establish neural correlates that may underlie
some of these cognitive functions. We showed that the indirect pulvino-cortical connectivity appears to facilitate
information transfer between areas in visual cortex. The proposed project will extend this work by probing the
hypothesis that the pulvinar is an integral subcortical part of a large-scale attentional control network. Using a
multi-modal methods approach that includes simultaneous multi-site recordings, neuroimaging, and reversible
inactivation in monkeys trained on an Eriksen flanker task, we will pursue three specific aims. First, we will
systematically characterize attentional modulation and functional interactions across pulvinar subdivisions by
simultaneously recording from dozens of single- and multi-units using linear microelectrode arrays. Second, we
will probe the idea that the pulvinar coordinates interactions within the fronto-parietal attention control network,
thus acting as a temporal coordinator, by simultaneously recording from FEF, LIP and their interconnected
projection zone in dorsal pulvinar. And third, we will probe a causal role for the pulvinar in attentional control.
By reversibly inactivating dorsal pulvinar under MR-guidance and performing simultaneous recordings from
FEF and LIP in our spatial attention task we will investigate local effects and interactions across the fronto-
parietal network in relation to behavior. The sig...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9899995
- **Project number:** 5R01EY017699-12
- **Recipient organization:** PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** SABINE KASTNER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $410,063
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2007-04-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9899995

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9899995, Functions of the thalamus in attention and perception (5R01EY017699-12). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9899995. Licensed CC0.

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