Spatial Representations and Attention

一些将神经系统患者的行为方法与解剖学数据相结合的研究证实了皮层中有两种非常普遍的处理流，一种涉及空间处理（枕叶-顶叶），另一种涉及对物体及其特征的感知和识别（枕叶-颞叶）。然而，我们使用时间测量的初步工作表明，尽管双侧背损伤相对较大，空间能力几乎完全丧失，但空间地图在空间意识水平以下完好无损。这些发现是从其他初步研究中发展而来的，这些研究表明，人类的双侧枕顶损伤会影响特征的结合方式（可能是通过腹侧/背侧的相互作用），这表明背侧空间功能在物体感知中的作用比以前认识到的要大。当空间意识大面积丧失时，如双侧背流损伤，形状感知仍然存在，但形状与表面特征（如颜色、大小或运动）的联系严重中断。特征的正确结合似乎需要依赖于背侧系统的明确的空间知识。虽然隐式空间信息保持完整，但适当的绑定似乎需要明确的意识。证据与多个空间地图一致。两组拟议的研究旨在探索可能破坏内隐空间信息的目标区域，并确定双侧背损伤与单侧损伤的关系，单侧损伤通常会产生其他空间缺陷，如单侧注意力不集中或半忽视。其他一系列的研究旨在开始探索在神经心理综合征中观察到的有助于内隐空间效应的认知操作。这些研究应该有助于确定皮质损伤的影响和潜在的完整机制，潜在地帮助康复工作和患者管理。这项工作的翻译潜力增加了提案的力量。

Several studies that combine behavioral methods with anatomical data in neurological patients have complimented evidence for two very general processing streams through the cortex, one involved in spatial processing (occipital-parietal) and the other in the perception and recognition of objects and their features (occipital-temporal). However, our preliminary work using chronometric measures reveals that despite the nearly complete loss of spatial abilities with relatively large bilateral dorsal lesions, spatial maps existed intact below the level of spatial awareness. These findings evolved from other preliminary work showing that bilateral occipital-parietal damage in humans affects how features are bound (presumably through ventral /dorsal interactions), suggesting a larger role for dorsal spatial functioning in object perception than previously recognized. When extensive loss of spatial awareness occurs, as with bilateral damage to the dorsal stream, shape perception remains but binding shape to surface features such as color, size or motion is severely disrupted. The proper binding of features appears to require explicit spatial knowledge that relies on dorsal systems. Although implicit spatial information remains intact, proper binding appears to require explicit awareness. The evidence is consistent with multiple spatial maps. Two sets of proposed studies are designed to explore targeted regions that may disrupt implicit spatial information and to determine the relationship of bilateral dorsal damage to unilateral damage that often produce other spatial deficits such as seen with unilateral inattention or hemineglect. Other sets of studies are designed to begin to explore the cognitive operations that contribute to implicit spatial effects observed in neuropsychological syndromes. The studies should help to determine the impact of cortical damage and underlying mechanisms that remain intact, potentially aiding in rehabilitation efforts and patient management. The translational potential of the work adds to the proposal's strength.