Interactions in the brain which enable us to pay attention to some of the things we see while barely ­noticing ­others have been discovered in ­research at the University of Melbourne. The findings are the first to show the complex interactions between two different areas of the brain when an object catches our eye. They were published in the international journal Science last week. The study was conducted by Dr Yuri Saalmann and Associate Professor Trichur Vidyasagar (Optometry and Vision Sciences), and Dr Ivan Pigarev, a visiting scientist from the Russian Academy of Sciences. Associate Professor Vidyasagar says knowing how different parts of the brain work to influence attention could ultimately lead to a better understanding of conditions such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, dyslexia or schizophrenia. It could also lead to strategies which could prevent car and work place accidents caused by a loss of attention. Associate Professor Vidyasagar and his colleagues found that a higher brain area in the macaque, known as the lateral intraparietal cortex – which controls attention – stimulates activity in a lower area called the medial temporal area, which influences the processing of visual information. ‘Attention is necessary […]