Final answer:
Attention enhances or suppresses neuronal responses in the cerebral cortex, especially within the Inferotemporal (IT) cortex in the visual 'what' pathway. The brain receives and processes sensory stimuli through ascending pathways, integrating this information and potentially forming memories or initiating responses. This attentional control exemplifies the complex interaction between sensory perception and motor responses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Attention functions as a selection process that modulates neural responses, enhancing or suppressing reactions to stimuli in the brain. In the cerebral cortex, sensory stimuli received through receptor cells are initially processed in the primary sensory cortex. This processing then moves to associational and integrative stages in multimodal areas, potentially leading to the incorporation of sensory perceptions into memory and resulting in a behavioral response.
The visual system illustratively processes information along the 'what' and 'where/how' pathways. Notably, in the Inferotemporal (IT) cortex, part of the visual 'what' pathway, neuronal responses to preferred stimuli are strongly influenced by attention, with attention enhancing or suppressing these neural responses. This process underscores the attentional modulation of sensory information processing.
Moreover, cognitive processes such as attention help focus the brain on processing new sensory information, which in turn influences neural pathways and can initiate corresponding motor responses. The motor processing follows a similar progression from planning in the prefrontal cortex to the initiation of movements in the primary motor cortex.