Investigating Causality in Brain Structures Involved in Visual Category LearningVisual category learning relies not only on the ability to process sensory stimuli but also on top-down modulation that enhances task-relevant features. This study investigates functional connectivity from the Inferior Frontal Junction (IFJ) and Frontal Eye Fields (FEF) to the early visual cortex during a category learning task. Using fMRI data from 25 participants in a prior study on population tuning and visual category learning, we conducted ROI-to-ROI connectivity analyses to test whether task-related connectivity changes reflect engagement of feature-based and spatial attention systems. We hypothesize that the IFJ will show stronger connectivity with visual cortical regions during category learning, consistent with its proposed role in feature-based attention. Furthermore, we expect that this association may be more pronounced in the later blocks of the behavioral task. Our results suggest that the strongest functional coupling between frontal and occipital regions were observed for connectivity between the right IFJ and the right supracalcarine cortex, supporting the role of the IFJ in modulating visual processing. Across nearly all source-target pairs, the statistical associations with visual cortex processing became stronger during later stages of learning. These findings support theories of top-down modulation in visual learning and may have implications for neurorehabilitation strategies targeting impaired attentional control.Kumaran, Rohan A.creatorRosedahl, Lukethesis advisorSilva, DaniellereaderBrown University. Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciencessponsor2025text_resourcesborn digitalEnglishSenior thesis (ScB)--Brown University, 2025Sc.B. Biophysics, A.B. EconomicsthesesCognitive neuroscienceVisual perceptionPrefrontal cortexVisual cortexNeurosciences--ResearchCognitive psychologyvisual perceptual learningAll rights reservedIn CopyrightAll Rights Reserved10.26300/54qq-sb86