Neurobiological Modeling of Bursting Response During Visual Attention

Thalamic neurons have an exclusive property named bursting response. Bursting response seems to have a critical role in producing saliency map and encoding conspicuity of locations during visual attention. Attention window is developed in thalamus due to its retinotopic organization. The global competitive network in thalamic reticular nucleus (NRT) determines which thalamic cells should produce bursting response. These cells are corresponded with attention window or attended location in the visual field. The computational procedure of bursting response is studied by the means of neurobiological modeling of thalamic neurons and their bimodal behavior (periodic bursting and periodic spiking patterns). The effect of NRT on thalamic relay neurons is considered in each mode of thalamic response. We also achieved the results of modeling through computer simulation of bimodal behavior in thalamic neurons.