Voluntary attention selects behaviorally relevant signals for further processing while filtering out distracter signals. Neural correlates of voluntary visual attention have been reported across multiple areas of the primate visual processing streams, with the earliest and strongest effects isolated in the prefrontal cortex. In this article, I review evidence supporting the hypothesis that signals guiding the allocation of voluntary attention emerge in areas of the prefrontal cortex and reach upstream areas to modulate the processing of incoming visual information according to its behavioral relevance. Areas located anterior and dorsal to the arcuate sulcus and the frontal eye fields produce signals that guide the allocation of spatial attention. Areas located anterior and ventral to the arcuate sulcus produce signals for feature-based attention. Prefrontal microcircuits are particularly suited to supporting voluntary attention because of their ability to generate attentional template signals and implement signal gating and their extensive connectivity with the rest of the brain.

中文翻译：

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前额皮质的视觉注意力

自愿注意选择行为相关的信号进行进一步处理，同时过滤掉干扰信号。据报道，灵长类视觉处理流的多个区域都存在自愿视觉注意的神经相关性，其中最早和最强的影响在前额叶皮层中被分离出来。在本文中，我回顾了支持这一假设的证据，即引导自愿注意力分配的信号出现在前额皮质区域，并到达上游区域，根据其行为相关性调节传入视觉信息的处理。位于弓状沟和额眼野前方和后方的区域产生引导空间注意力分配的信号。位于弓状沟前侧和腹侧的区域产生基于特征的注意力信号。前额叶微电路特别适合支持自愿注意力，因为它们能够生成注意力模板信号并实现信号门控，并且与大脑其他部分具有广泛的连接性。