Decoding non-spatial attention sets in PFC and the functional/anatomical connectivity fingerprints of attention-related control structures in PFC

Prefrontal cortex contains two important areas, the frontal eye field (FEF) and the inferior frontal junction (IFJ), that are both involved in the orchestrating functions of attention, working memory and cognitive control. Here we studied both the representational content within PFC (based on MEG-MVPA decoding) as well as its functional and anatomical connectivity patterns (based on temporally high-resolving rsMEG and DTI, respectively). Multivariate pattern analysis in auditory and visual tasks revealed the selectivity of the inferior frontal junction to non-spatial information, e.g., feature- or object-based information, allowing for the successful decoding of non-spatial attention, independently of task modality. In terms of PFC connectivity, we found striking differences in how these regions are connected to other cortical networks: while FEF is more strongly connected with topographically organized areas, IFJ shows systematically stronger connection with sensory areas that lack such a clear topographic organization (predominantly in the ventral visual stream). As both the representational content and the connectivity fingerprints are a crucial pre-requisite for structures in PFC to provide top-down attentional control signals, our data points at a systematic division of labor between FEF and IFj in the control of spatial versus non-spatial attention, respectively.