A Lateralized Brain Network for Visuo-Spatial Attention

Abstract

Looking for a friend in the crowd, avoiding a sudden danger or contemplating a work of art are some examples of actions based on the efficiency of our visuo-spatial attention system. The specialization of the right brain hemisphere for visuo-spatial attention is a characteristic of most humans, but its anatomical basis remains largely unknown. Our study is the first to report in humans the existence of a bilateral parieto-frontal network whose hemispheric lateralization predicts the degree of specialization of the right hemisphere for visuo-spatial attention. Our results also suggest that this specialization is associated with an unbalanced speed of visuo-spatial processing between the two hemispheres. This lateralization may be predictive of visuo-spatial recovery in patients with lesions of parieto-frontal networks.