The dorsal attention network (DAN), also known anatomically as the dorsal frontoparietal network (D-FPN), is a

large-scale brain network Large-scale brain networks (also known as intrinsic brain networks) are collections of widespread brain regions showing functional connectivity by statistical analysis of the fMRI BOLD signal or other recording methods such as EEG, PET and MEG. ...

of the human brain that is primarily composed of the

intraparietal sulcus The intraparietal sulcus (IPS) is located on the lateral surface of the parietal lobe, and consists of an oblique and a horizontal portion. The IPS contains a series of functionally distinct subregions that have been intensively investigated usin ...

(IPS) and

frontal eye fields The frontal eye fields (FEF) are a region located in the frontal cortex, more specifically in Brodmann area 8 or BA8, of the primate brain. In humans, it can be more accurately said to lie in a region around the intersection of the middle fronta ...

(FEF). It is named and most known for its role in voluntary orienting of visuospatial attention. As the IPS and FEF were noticed to be activated during many attention-demanding tasks, this network was sometimes referred to as the task-positive network to contrast it against the

task-negative network In neuroscience, the default mode network (DMN), also known as the default network, default state network, or anatomically the medial frontoparietal network (M-FPN), is a large-scale brain network primarily composed of the dorsal medial prefro ...

, or default mode network. However, this dichotomy is now considered misleading, because the default mode network can be active in certain cognitive tasks.

Anatomy

The core regions of the DAN are the IPS and FEF of each hemisphere. Other regions of the network may include the middle temporal region (MT+),

superior parietal lobule The superior parietal lobule is bounded in front by the upper part of the postcentral sulcus, but is usually connected with the postcentral gyrus above the end of the sulcus. The superior parietal lobule contains Brodmann's areas 5 and 7. Beh ...

(SPL),

supplementary eye field Supplementary eye field (SEF) is the name for the anatomical area of the dorsal medial frontal lobe of the primate cerebral cortex that is indirectly involved in the control of saccadic eye movements. Evidence for a supplementary eye field was ...

(SEF), and ventral

premotor cortex The premotor cortex is an area of the motor cortex lying within the frontal lobe of the brain just anterior to the primary motor cortex. It occupies part of Brodmann's area 6. It has been studied mainly in primates, including monkeys and humans ...

. More recent works indicate that the cerebellum may participate in this network as well. Less studied regions include the right

dorsolateral prefrontal cortex The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC or DL-PFC) is an area in the prefrontal cortex of the primate brain. It is one of the most recently derived parts of the human brain. It undergoes a prolonged period of maturation which lasts until adultho ...

and superior colliculus.

Function

The DAN is most prominently involved in goal-directed, voluntary control of visuospatial attention. Corbetta et al., who first defined and named the DAN in the early-to-mid 2000s, suggest that the network is involved in general top-down selection of stimuli and responses, including other modalities (e.g. auditory, tactile). However, evidence that the full DAN is involved in auditory top-down attention has been questioned. The dorsal attention network dynamically interacts with the

ventral attention network The salience network (SN), also known anatomically as the midcingulo-insular network (M-CIN), is a large scale brain network of the human brain that is primarily composed of the anterior insula (AI) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). ...

(or

salience network The salience network (SN), also known anatomically as the midcingulo-insular network (M-CIN), is a large scale brain network of the human brain that is primarily composed of the anterior insula (AI) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). ...

) according to task demands. The

inferior frontal junction The inferior frontal junction area (IFJ) is an area of the brain located at the junction of the inferior frontal sulcus and the inferior precentral sulcus The precentral sulcus is a part of the human brain that lies parallel to, and in front o ...

configures this interaction between the two networks during task switches or attention shifts.

Clinical significance

Reduced connectivity within the dorsal and ventral attention networks has been linked to higher levels of

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by excessive amounts of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that are pervasive, impairing in multiple contexts, and otherwise age-inap ...

symptoms. Similarly, reduced connectivity between the DAN and the

frontoparietal network The frontoparietal network (FPN), generally also known as the central executive network (CEN) or, more specifically, the lateral frontoparietal network (L-FPN) (see Nomenclature), is a large-scale brain network primarily composed of the dorsol ...

is associated with

major depressive disorder Major depressive disorder (MDD), also known as clinical depression, is a mental disorder characterized by at least two weeks of pervasive low mood, low self-esteem, and loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities. Intro ...

. On the other hand, overactivation of the DAN has been observed in patients with

schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...

Nomenclature

There are several variations of this network's name in neuroscience literature, such as the dorsal attention system, dorsal frontoparietal attention network, and frontoparietal attention network. Until the discovery of other networks, such as the

frontoparietal control network The frontoparietal network (FPN), generally also known as the central executive network (CEN) or, more specifically, the lateral frontoparietal network (L-FPN) (see Nomenclature), is a large-scale brain network primarily composed of the dorsola ...

, the term ''task-positive network'' referred to the DAN. The term ''task-positive networks'' is still sometimes used to refer to all non- default-mode networks. In 2019, Uddin et al. proposed that ''dorsal frontoparietal network'' (''D-FPN'') be used as a standard anatomical name for this network.

References

{{Human connectomics Brain Attention Cognitive neuroscience