- Also called the dorsal frontoparietal network (D-FPN) - Large-scale, bilateral [[Brain Networks|brain network]] primarily composed of the intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and frontal eye fields (FEF) in each hemisphere - Central role in voluntary, [[Goal-directed behavior|goal-directed]] control of visuospatial attention - Acts as the [[Human Brain|brain]]’s “aperture” focusing attention on relevant external stimuli and sustaining attention during tasks - Supports sustained, top-down voluntary attention toward behaviorally relevant sensory inputs - Coordinates eye movements with attentional shifts - Dynamically interacts with the ventral attention ([[Salience Network]]) network to balance top-down and bottom-up attentional control - Facilitates efficient information flow between sensory areas, especially [[visual cortex]], and executive regions - Connectivity within the DAN correlates with spatial attention task performance - Involved in broader top-down selective processes potentially extending beyond vision ## Anatomy - Core nodes: - Intraparietal sulcus (IPS) - Frontal eye fields (FEF) - Connected regions: - [[Posterior Parietal Cortex]] (Superior parietal lobule, Intraparietal sulcus) - [[Prefrontal Cortex]] (frontal eye fields) - [[Frontoparietal Control Network (FPCN)]] - [[Visual Cortex]] - Additional possible components: - Middle temporal region (MT+) - Superior parietal lobule (SPL) - Supplementary eye field (SEF) - Ventral premotor cortex - Subcortical structures involved: - Pulvinar - Superior colliculi - Brainstem nuclei including interpeduncular, pedunculopontine-cuneiform, gigantocellular, and raphe pallidus nuclei - [[Cerebellum]] ## Functions - Directs voluntary [[Attention]] to relevant spatial and sensory targets - Coordinates eye movements with shifts in attention - Maintains focus on tasks requiring sustained, goal-directed effort - Works in opposition to the ventral attention network responsible for stimulus-driven attention - Modulates sensory processing in [[visual cortex]] via top-down signals - Supports steady holding of attention as a foundational mechanism for intellectual capabilities ## Subregions - [[Frontal Eye Fields (FEF)]]: involved in eye-movement planning and attentional control - [[Intraparietal Sulcus (IPS)]]: supports spatial attention and sensory integration ## Clinical Relevance - Dysregulation contributes to [[ADHD]] causing difficulty maintaining focus - Impairments seen in neglect syndromes following [[parietal lobe]] damage - Target for neurofeedback and attention-training interventions - Reduced connectivity linked to [[Major Depressive Disorder]] - Overactivation observed in [[Schizophrenia]]