Abstract
Area v4 has been the focus of much research on neural mechanisms of attention. However, most of this work has focused on reduced paradigms involving simple stimuli such as bars and gratings, and simple behaviors such as fixation. The picture that has emerged from such studies suggests that the main effect of attention is to change response rate, response gain or contrast gain. In this task I will review the current evidence regarding how neurons are modulated by attention under more natural viewing conditions involving complex stimuli and behaviors. The view that emerges from these studies suggests that attention operates through a variety of mechanisms that modify the way information is represented throughout the visual hierarchy. These mechanisms act in concert to optimize task performance under the demanding conditions prevailing during natural vision.