AbstractAttention is a process of selection that allows us to intelligently navigate the abundance of information in our world. Attention can be either directed voluntarily based on internal goals—“top-down” or goal-directed attention—or captured automatically, by salient stimuli—“bottom-up” or stimulus-driven attention. Do these two modes of attention control arise from same or different brain circuits? Do they share similar or distinct neural mechanisms? In this review, we explore this dichotomy between the neural bases of top-down and bottom-up attention control, with a special emphasis on insights gained from non-invasive neurostimulation techniques, specifically, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS enables spatially focal and temporally precise manipulation of brain activity. We explore a significant literature devoted to investigating the role of fronto-parietal brain regions in top-down and bottom-up attention with TMS, and highlight key areas of convergence and debate. We also discuss recent advances in combinatorial paradigms that combine TMS with other imaging modalities, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalography. These paradigms are beginning to bridge essential gaps in our understanding of the neural pathways by which TMS affects behavior, and will prove invaluable for unraveling mechanisms of attention control, both in health and in disease.

中文翻译：

---

通过非侵入性脑刺激揭示自上而下和自下而上视觉空间注意力的因果机制

AbstractAttention 是一个选择的过程，它使我们能够智能地浏览世界中丰富的信息。注意力可以根据内部目标自愿引导（“自上而下”或目标导向的注意力），也可以通过显着刺激（“自下而上”或刺激驱动的注意力）自动捕获。这两种注意力控制模式是来自相同还是不同的大脑回路？它们具有相似或不同的神经机制吗？在这篇综述中，我们探讨了自上而下和自下而上注意力控制的神经基础之间的二分法，特别强调从非侵入性神经刺激技术，特别是经颅磁刺激（TMS）中获得的见解。TMS 能够对大脑活动进行空间聚焦和时间精确操控。我们探索了致力于研究额顶叶大脑区域在 TMS 自上而下和自下而上注意力中的作用的重要文献，并强调了融合和争论的关键领域。我们还讨论了将 TMS 与其他成像方式（例如功能性磁共振成像或脑电图）相结合的组合范例的最新进展。这些范式开始弥合我们对 TMS 影响行为的神经通路的理解上的重大差距，并且对于揭示健康和疾病中的注意力控制机制具有不可估量的价值。