Functional Organization of Human Intraparietal and Frontal Cortex for Attending, Looking, and Pointing

We studied the functional organization of human posterior parietal and frontal cortex using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to map preparatory signals for attending, looking, and pointing to a peripheral visual location. The human frontal eye field and two separate regions in the intraparietal sulcus were similarly recruited in all conditions, suggesting an attentional role that generalizes across response effectors. However, the preparation of a pointing movement selectively activated a different group of regions, suggesting a stronger role in motor planning. These regions were lateralized to the left hemisphere, activated by preparation of movements of either hand, and included the inferior and…

• NS
  National Science Foundation
• NA
  National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• JS
  James S. McDonnell Foundation
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Award: NS06833
• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health
• NC
  National Cancer Institute
• UN
  U.S. National Library of Medicine