The role of the parietal cortex in salience-based selection using a cognitive neuropsychological approach

Green, Robin Jonathan (2016). The role of the parietal cortex in salience-based selection using a cognitive neuropsychological approach. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

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Abstract

It has been known that the parietal cortex is important for directing attention in order to fulfil search task goals, although how exactly this is done is unclear. Saliency has been identified as important in parietal selection of targets and suppression of distractors. This thesis attempted to explore the factors underlying salience-based selection in the parietal cortex using a cognitive neuropsychological approach. Chapter 1 explored the literature underlying saliency and the parietal cortex. Chapter 2 addressed the question of salience-based selection in a global-local task using a voxel-based morphometric approach in a wide range of patients, finding parietal and occipital regions as important regions for congruency interference and suppressing salient distractors. Chapter 3 inhibited the right precuneus using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in neurotypical adults on the same task finding reduced congruency interference. Chapter 4 revealed the importance of saliency in mediating level selection in simultanagnosia. Chapters 5 and 6 examined in a bilateral parietal patient using spatial and non-spatial paradigms the importance of stimulus relevance as a means of guiding salience-based selection. The thesis concluded in Chapter 7 that the parietal cortex is important for salience-based selection and suppression mediated by the relevance of the stimulus being made salient.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

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