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Chinen K, Kawabata A, Tanaka H, Komura Y. Inaccessible time to visual awareness during attentional blinks in macaques and humans. iScience 2023; 26:108208. [PMID: 38223787 PMCID: PMC10784117 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Even when we attend to successive visual events, we often cannot notice an event occurring during a certain temporal window. Such an inaccessible time for visual awareness is known as "attentional blink" (AB). Whether AB is a phenomenon unique to humans or exists also in other animals is unclear. Using a dual-task paradigm shared between macaques and humans, we here demonstrate a nonhuman primate model of AB. Although macaques also showed behavioral signatures of AB, their AB effect lasted longer than that of humans. To map the relation between macaque and human ABs, we introduced a time warping analysis. The analysis revealed a formal structure behind the interspecies difference of AB; the temporal window of macaque AB was scaled from that of human AB. The present study opens the door to combining the approaches of neuroscience, psychophysics, and theoretical models to further identify a scale-invariant biological substrate of visual awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koji Chinen
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Akira Kawabata
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Hitoshi Tanaka
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yutaka Komura
- Graduate School of Human and Environmental Studies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Nihonmatsu-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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2
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Souza-Couto D, Bretas R, Aversi-Ferreira TA. Neuropsychology of the parietal lobe: Luria's and contemporary conceptions. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1226226. [PMID: 37928730 PMCID: PMC10623013 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1226226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The parietal lobe, constituting approximately 20% of the human brain, comprises two main regions: the somatosensory cortex and the posterior parietal cortex. The former is responsible for receiving and processing information from the organism itself or its external environment, while the latter performs concurrent summaries and higher cognitive functions. The present study seeks to integrate modern research findings with Luria's previous discoveries in order to gain a nuanced understanding of the roles assigned to the parietal lobe as well as its lateralization differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dyecika Souza-Couto
- Laboratory of Biomathematics and Physical Anthropology, Federal University of Alfenas, Alfenas, Brazil
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3
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Paßler M. The exclusionary approach to consciousness. Neurosci Conscious 2023; 2023:niad022. [PMID: 37810758 PMCID: PMC10553408 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niad022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The standard approach in the field of consciousness research involves identifying the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) by comparing neural activity between conscious and unconscious trials. However, this method has been met with criticism due to the lack of consensus on how to operationalize and measure consciousness. In this paper, I propose an alternative approach: the exclusionary approach. Rather than utilizing near-threshold conditions to contrast conscious and unconscious trials, this approach leverages the widely accepted notion that subjective reports are reliable under normal conditions. I propose that this can be done by assessing whether consciousness remains stable across trials while manipulating other factors such as reports, tasks, stimulation, or attention. We can use the resulting contrast to exclude certain kinds of neural activity as candidate NCCs. This method produces results that are less contentious, allowing for the establishment of hard criteria for theories of consciousness. Additionally, this approach does not require the development of new research paradigms, but can incorporate existing studies, particularly those aimed at identifying confounding factors in the standard approach. It is important to note, however, that the proposed exclusionary approach does not negate the value of the identification approach. Rather, they should be considered as complementary methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlo Paßler
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, Berlin 10117, Germany
- RTG 2386 “Extrospection”, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Luisenstraße 56, Berlin 10117, Germany
- Institute of Philosophy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Zschokkestr. 32, Magdeburg, Sachsen-Anhalt 39104, Germany
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4
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Zhang D, Zhang R, Zhou L, Zhou K, Chang C. The brain network underlying attentional blink predicts symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:2761-2773. [PMID: 35699600 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disease that can markedly impair educational, social, and occupational function throughout life. Behavioral deficits may provide clues to the underlying neurological impairments. Children with ADHD exhibit a larger attentional blink (AB) deficit in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) tasks than typically developing children, so we examined whether brain connectivity in the neural network associated with AB can predict ADHD symptoms and thus serve as potential biomarkers of the underlying neuropathology. We first employed a connectome-based predictive model analysis of adult resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data to identify a distributed brain network for AB. The summed functional connectivity (FC) strength within the AB network reliably predicted individual differences in AB magnitude measured by a classical dual-target RSVP task. Furthermore, the summed FC strength within the AB network predicted individual differences in ADHD Rating Scale scores from an independent dataset of pediatric patients. Our findings suggest that the individual AB network could serve as an applicable neuroimaging-based biomarker of AB deficit and ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dai Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, No. 1066, Xueyuan Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518073, China
| | - Ruotong Zhang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Liqin Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, No. 19, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Chunqi Chang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University Health Science Center, No. 1066, Xueyuan Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518073, China
- Peng Cheng Laboratory, No. 2, Xingke Street, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 518055, China
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5
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Conscious interpretation: A distinct aspect for the neural markers of the contents of consciousness. Conscious Cogn 2023; 108:103471. [PMID: 36736210 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2023.103471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Progress in the science of consciousness depends on the experimental paradigms and varieties of contrastive analysis available to researchers. Here we highlight paradigms where the object is represented in consciousness as a set of its features but the interpretation of this set alternates in consciousness. We group experimental paradigms with this property under the label "conscious interpretation". We compare the paradigms studying conscious interpretation of the already consciously perceived objects with other types of experimental paradigms. We review previous and recent studies investigating this interpretative aspect of consciousness and propose future directions. We put forward the hypothesis that there are types of stimuli with a hierarchy of interpretations for which the rule applies: conscious experience is drawn towards higher-level interpretation and reverting back to the lower level of interpretation is impossible. We discuss how theories of consciousness might incorporate knowledge and constraints arising from the characteristics of conscious interpretation.
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6
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It's time for attentional control: Temporal expectation in the attentional blink. Conscious Cogn 2023; 107:103461. [PMID: 36584439 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) reveals a limitation in conscious processing of sequential targets. Although it is widely held that the AB derives from a structural bottleneck of central capacity, how the central processing is constrained is still unclear. As the AB reflects the dilemma of deploying attentional resources in the time dimension, research on temporal allocation provides an important avenue for understanding the mechanism. Here we reviewed studies regarding the role of temporal expectation in modulating the AB performance primarily based on two temporal processing strategies: interval-based and rhythm-based timings. We showed that both temporal expectations can help to organize limited resources among multiple attentional episodes, thereby mitigating the AB effect. As it turns out, scrutinizing on the AB from a temporal perspective is a promising way to comprehend the mechanisms behind the AB and conscious cognition. We also highlighted some unresolved issues and discussed potential directions for future research.
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7
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Tsutsuse KS, Vibell J, Sinnett S. EXPRESS: Multisensory Perception of Natural Versus Unnatural Motion. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2022; 76:1233-1244. [PMID: 35658653 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221108251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has shown that visual perception is influenced by Newtonian constraints. Kominsky et al. (2017) showed humans detect unnatural motion, where objects break Newtonian constraints by moving at a faster speed after colliding with another object, faster than collisions that do not violate Newtonian constraints. These findings show that the perceptual system distinguishes between realistic and unrealistic causal events. However, real world collisions are rarely silent. The present study extends this research by including sound at the collision point between two objects to evaluate how multisensory integration influences the perception of natural versus unnatural colliding events. Participants viewed an array of three simultaneous videos, each depicting two objects moving in a horizontal back and forth motion. Two of the videos showed the objects moving at the same speed while the third video was an oddball that either moved faster before the collision and slower after (natural target), or slower before the collision and faster after (unnatural target). A brief click was presented at the collision point of one or none of the videos. Participants were asked to indicate the oddball video via keypress. Replicating Kominsky et al. (2017), participants were faster when identifying unnatural target motion events compared to natural target motion events, both with and without sound. The findings also demonstrated lower accuracy rates for unnatural events compared to natural events, especially when a sound was added. These findings suggest that the addition of a sound could be distracting to participants, possibly due to limitations in attentional resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Soma Tsutsuse
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa 2530 Dole Street Sakamaki D412, Honolulu, HI, 96822 3949
| | - Jonas Vibell
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa 2530 Dole Street Sakamaki D412, Honolulu, HI, 96822 3949
| | - Scott Sinnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Manoa 2530 Dole Street Sakamaki D412, Honolulu, HI, 96822 3949
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8
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Acceleration of information processing en route to perceptual awareness in infancy. Curr Biol 2022; 32:1206-1210.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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9
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Yao Y, Wu Y, Xu T, Chen F. Mining Temporal Dynamics With Support Vector Machine for Predicting the Neural Fate of Target in Attentional Blink. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:734660. [PMID: 34776884 PMCID: PMC8589014 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.734660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 10/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Our brains do not mechanically process incoming stimuli; in contrast, the physiological state of the brain preceding stimuli has substantial consequences for subsequent behavior and neural processing. Although previous studies have acknowledged the importance of this top-down process, it was only recently that a growing interest was gained in exploring the underlying neural mechanism quantitatively. By utilizing the attentional blink (AB) effect, this study is aimed to identify the neural mechanism of brain states preceding T2 and predict its behavioral performance. Interarea phase synchronization and its role in prediction were explored using the phase-locking value and support vector machine classifiers. Our results showed that the phase coupling in alpha and beta frequency bands pre-T1 and during the T1-T2 interval could predict the detection of T2 in lag 3 with high accuracy. These findings indicated the important role of brain state before stimuli appear in predicting the behavioral performance in AB, thus, supporting the attention control theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yao
- Bio-X Laboratory, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
- Department of Education, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
| | - Yunying Wu
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China
- Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Tianyong Xu
- Bio-X Laboratory, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feiyan Chen
- Bio-X Laboratory, Department of Physics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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10
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Yamashita J, Terashima H, Yoneya M, Maruya K, Koya H, Oishi H, Nakamura H, Kumada T. Pupillary fluctuation amplitude before target presentation reflects short-term vigilance level in Psychomotor Vigilance Tasks. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256953. [PMID: 34534237 PMCID: PMC8448328 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Our daily activities require vigilance. Therefore, it is useful to externally monitor and predict our vigilance level using a straightforward method. It is known that the vigilance level is linked to pupillary fluctuations via Locus Coeruleus and Norepinephrine (LC-NE) system. However, previous methods of estimating long-term vigilance require monitoring pupillary fluctuations at rest over a long period. We developed a method of predicting the short-term vigilance level by monitoring pupillary fluctuation for a shorter period consisting of several seconds. The LC activity also fluctuates at a timescale of seconds. Therefore, we hypothesized that the short-term vigilance level could be estimated using pupillary fluctuations in a short period and quantified their amplitude as the Micro-Pupillary Unrest Index (M-PUI). We found an intra-individual trial-by-trial positive correlation between Reaction Time (RT) reflecting the short-term vigilance level and M-PUI in the period immediately before the target onset in a Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). This relationship was most evident when the fluctuation was smoothed by a Hanning window of approximately 50 to 100 ms (including cases of down-sampled data at 100 and 50 Hz), and M-PUI was calculated in the period up to one or two seconds before the target onset. These results suggest that M-PUI can monitor and predict fluctuating levels of vigilance. M-PUI is also useful for examining pupillary fluctuations in a short period for elucidating the psychophysiological mechanisms of short-term vigilance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jumpei Yamashita
- Access Operations Project, NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Hiroki Terashima
- Human Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Makoto Yoneya
- Human Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kazushi Maruya
- Human Information Science Laboratory, NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hidetaka Koya
- Access Operations Project, NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Haruo Oishi
- Access Operations Project, NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Nakamura
- Access Operations Project, NTT Access Network Service Systems Laboratories, Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Takatsune Kumada
- Department of Intelligence Science and Technology, Graduate School of Informatics, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
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11
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Parto Dezfouli M, Davoudi S, Knight RT, Daliri MR, Johnson EL. Prefrontal lesions disrupt oscillatory signatures of spatiotemporal integration in working memory. Cortex 2021; 138:113-126. [PMID: 33684625 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.01.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
How does the human brain integrate spatial and temporal information into unified mnemonic representations? Building on classic theories of feature binding, we first define the oscillatory signatures of integrating 'where' and 'when' information in working memory (WM) and then investigate the role of prefrontal cortex (PFC) in spatiotemporal integration. Fourteen individuals with lateral PFC damage and 20 healthy controls completed a visuospatial WM task while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. On each trial, two shapes were presented sequentially in a top/bottom spatial orientation. We defined EEG signatures of spatiotemporal integration by comparing the maintenance of two possible where-when configurations: the first shape presented on top and the reverse. Frontal delta-theta (δθ; 2-7 Hz) activity, frontal-posterior δθ functional connectivity, lateral posterior event-related potentials, and mesial posterior alpha phase-to-gamma amplitude coupling dissociated the two configurations in controls. WM performance and frontal and mesial posterior signatures of spatiotemporal integration were diminished in PFC lesion patients, whereas lateral posterior signatures were intact. These findings reveal both PFC-dependent and independent substrates of spatiotemporal integration and link optimal performance to PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Parto Dezfouli
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran; Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Saeideh Davoudi
- Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran
| | - Robert T Knight
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mohammad Reza Daliri
- School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran; Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Electrical Engineering, Iran University of Science and Technology (IUST), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Elizabeth L Johnson
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Life-Span Cognitive Neuroscience Program, Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
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12
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London RE, Slagter HA. No Effect of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Left Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex on Temporal Attention. J Cogn Neurosci 2021; 33:756-768. [PMID: 33464163 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Selection mechanisms that dynamically gate only relevant perceptual information for further processing and sustained representation in working memory are critical for goal-directed behavior. We examined whether this gating process can be modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (lDLPFC)-a region known to play a key role in working memory and conscious access. Specifically, we examined the effects of tDCS on the magnitude of the "attentional blink" (AB), a deficit in identifying the second of two targets presented in rapid succession. Thirty-four participants performed an AB task before (baseline), during and after 20 min of 1-mA anodal and cathodal tDCS in two separate sessions. On the basis of previous reports linking individual differences in AB magnitude to individual differences in DLPFC activity and on the basis of suggestions that effects of tDCS depend on baseline brain activity levels, we hypothesized that anodal tDCS over lDLPFC would modulate the magnitude of the AB as a function of individual baseline AB magnitude. Behavioral results did not provide support for this hypothesis. At the group level, we also did not observe any significant effects of tDCS, and a Bayesian analysis revealed strong evidence that tDCS to lDLPFC did not affect AB performance. Together, these findings do not support the idea that there is an optimal level of prefrontal cortical excitability for cognitive function. More generally, they add to a growing body of work that challenges the idea that the effects of tDCS can be predicted from baseline levels of behavior.
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13
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Zhou L, Zhen Z, Liu J, Zhou K. Brain Structure and Functional Connectivity Associated with Individual Differences in the Attentional Blink. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:6224-6237. [PMID: 32662504 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) has been central in characterizing the limit of temporal attention and consciousness. The neural mechanism of the AB is still in hot debate. With a large sample size, we combined multiple behavioral tests, multimodal MRI measures, and transcranial magnetic stimulation to investigate the neural basis underlying the individual differences in the AB. We found that AB magnitude correlated with the executive control functioning of working memory (WM) in behavior, which was fully mediated by T1 performance. Structural variations in the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) and its intrinsic functional connectivity with the left inferior frontal junction (lIFJ) accounted for the individual differences in the AB, which was moderated by the executive control of working memory. Disrupting the function of the lIFJ attenuated the AB deficit. Our findings clarified the neural correlates of the individual differences in the AB and elucidated its relationship with the consolidation-driven inhibitory control process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqin Zhou
- College of Psychology and Sociology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518061, China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518061, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Zonglei Zhen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Ke Zhou
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
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14
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Gan X, Yao Y, Liu H, Zong X, Cui R, Qiu N, Xie J, Jiang D, Ying S, Tang X, Dong L, Gong D, Ma W, Liu T. Action Real-Time Strategy Gaming Experience Related to Increased Attentional Resources: An Attentional Blink Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:101. [PMID: 32341688 PMCID: PMC7163005 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Action real-time strategy gaming (ARSG) is a cognitively demanding task which requires attention, sensorimotor skills, team cooperation, and strategy-making abilities. A recent study found that ARSG experts had superior visual selective attention (VSA) for detecting the location of a moving object that could appear in one of 24 different peripheral locations (Qiu et al., 2018), suggesting that ARSG experience is related to improvements in the spatial component of VSA. However, the influence of ARSG experience on the temporal component of VSA-the detection of an item among a sequence of items presented consecutively and quickly at a single location-still remains understudied. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures, this study examined whether ARSG experts had superior temporal VSA performance compared to non-experts in an attentional blink (AB) task, which is typically used to examine temporal VSA. The results showed that the experts outperformed the non-experts in their detection rates of targets. Furthermore, compared to the non-experts, the experts had faster information processing as indicated by earlier P3 peak latencies in an AB period, more attentional resources distributed to targets as indicated by stronger P3 amplitudes, and a more flexible deployment of attentional resources. These findings suggest that experts were less prone to the AB effect. Thus, long-term ARSG experience is related to improvements in temporal VSA. The current findings support the benefit of video gaming experience on the development of VSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianyang Gan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Yutong Yao
- Faculty of Natural Science, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| | - Hui Liu
- Education Center for Students Cultural Qualities, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xin Zong
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruifang Cui
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Nan Qiu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jiaxin Xie
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Dong Jiang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Shaofei Ying
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xingfeng Tang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Li Dong
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Diankun Gong
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Weiyi Ma
- School of Human Environmental Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States
| | - Tiejun Liu
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- Center for Information in Medicine, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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15
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Overlapping attentional networks yield divergent behavioral predictions across tasks: Neuromarkers for diffuse and focused attention? Neuroimage 2020; 209:116535. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
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16
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Zhang X, Fu W, Xue L, Zhao J, Wang Z. Children With Mathematical Learning Difficulties Are Sluggish in Disengaging Attention. Front Psychol 2019; 10:932. [PMID: 31143141 PMCID: PMC6520633 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2018] [Accepted: 04/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical learning difficulties (MLD) refer to a variety of deficits in math skills, typically pertaining to the domains of arithmetic and problem solving. The present study examined the time course of attentional orienting in MLD children with a spatial cueing task, by parametrically manipulating the cue-target onset asynchrony (CTOA). The results of Experiment 1 revealed that, in contrast to typical developing children, the inhibitory aftereffect of attentional orienting - frequently referred to as inhibition of return (IOR) - was not observed in the MLD children, even at the longest CTOA tested (800 ms). However, robust early facilitation effects were observed in the MLD children, suggesting that they have difficulties in attentional disengagement rather than attentional engagement. In a second experiment, a secondary cue was introduced to the cueing task to encourage attentional disengagement and IOR effects were observed in the MLD children. Taken together, the present experiments indicate that MLD children are sluggish in disengaging spatial attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxian Zhang
- School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wanlu Fu
- School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Licheng Xue
- Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jing Zhao
- School of Education, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Institute of Psychological Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.,Zhejiang Key Laboratory for Research in Assessment of Cognitive Impairments, Hangzhou, China
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17
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Wei P, Yu H, Müller HJ, Pollmann S, Zhou X. Differential brain mechanisms for processing distracting information in task-relevant and -irrelevant dimensions in visual search. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:110-124. [PMID: 30256504 PMCID: PMC8022275 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 08/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
A crucial function of our goal-directed behavior is to select task-relevant targets among distractor stimuli, some of which may share properties with the target and thus compete for attentional selection. Here, by applying functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to a visual search task in which a target was embedded in an array of distractors that were homogeneous or heterogeneous along the task-relevant (orientation or form) and/or task-irrelevant (color) dimensions, we demonstrate that for both (orientation) feature search and (form) conjunction search, the fusiform gyrus is involved in processing the task-irrelevant color information, while the bilateral frontal eye fields (FEF), the cortex along the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS), and the left junction of intraparietal and transverse occipital sulci (IPTO) are involved in processing task-relevant distracting information, especially for target-absent trials. Moreover, in conjunction (but not in feature) search, activity in these frontoparietal regions is affected by stimulus heterogeneity along the task-irrelevant dimension: heterogeneity of the task-irrelevant information increases the activity in these regions only when the task-relevant information is homogeneous, not when it is heterogeneous. These findings suggest that differential neural mechanisms are involved in processing task-relevant and task-irrelevant dimensions of the searched-for objects. In addition, they show that the top-down task set plays a dominant role in determining whether or not task-irrelevant information can affect the processing of the task-relevant dimension in the frontoparietal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ping Wei
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition and School of PsychologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Imaging TechnologyCapital Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hongbo Yu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Hermann J. Müller
- General & Experimental Psychology, Department of PsychologyLMU MünchenMunichGermany
| | - Stefan Pollmann
- Department of Experimental Psychology and Center for Behavioral Brain SciencesOtto‐von‐Guericke‐University MagdeburgMagdeburgGermany
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- School of Psychological and Cognitive SciencesPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental HealthPeking UniversityBeijingChina
- PKU‐IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain ResearchPeking UniversityBeijingChina
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18
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Valdois S, Lassus-Sangosse D, Lallier M, Moreaud O, Pisella L. What bilateral damage of the superior parietal lobes tells us about visual attention disorders in developmental dyslexia. Neuropsychologia 2018; 130:78-91. [PMID: 30098328 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have identified the superior parietal lobules bilaterally as the neural substrates of reduced visual attention (VA) span in developmental dyslexia. It remains however unclear whether the VA span deficit and the deficits in temporal and spatial attention shifting also reported in dyslexic children reflect a unitary spatio-temporal deficit of attention - probably linked to general posterior parietal dysfunction- or the dysfunction of distinct attentional systems that relate to different neural substrates. We explored this issue by testing an adult patient, IG, with a specific damage of the bilateral superior parietal lobules after stroke, on tasks assessing the VA span as well as temporal and spatial attention shifting. IG demonstrated a very severe VA span deficit, but preserved temporal attention shifting. Exogenous spatial orientation shifting was spared but her performance was impaired in endogenous attention. The overall findings show that distinct sub-systems of visual attention can be dissociated within the parietal lobe, suggesting that different attentional systems associated with specific neural networks can be selectively impaired in developmental dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Valdois
- CNRS, LPNC UMR 5105, 38040 Grenoble, France; Université Grenoble Alpes, LPNC, 38040 Grenoble, France.
| | - D Lassus-Sangosse
- CMRR, Pôle Psychiatrie, Neurologie, Rééducation neurologique, CHU Grenoble-Alpes, France
| | - M Lallier
- Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, 20009 San Sebastián, Spain
| | - O Moreaud
- CNRS, LPNC UMR 5105, 38040 Grenoble, France; CMRR, Pôle Psychiatrie, Neurologie, Rééducation neurologique, CHU Grenoble-Alpes, France
| | - L Pisella
- ImpAct - Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Inserm U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Bron, France
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19
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Abstract
Attentional blink (AB) refers to the situation where correctly identifying a target impairs the processing of a subsequent probe in a sequence of stimuli. Although the AB often coincides with a modulation of scalp-recorded cognitive event-related potentials (ERPs), the neural sources of this effect remain unclear. In two separate experiments, we used classical LORETA analysis recursively applied (CLARA) to estimate the neural sources of ERPs elicited by an auditory probe when it immediately followed an auditory target (i.e., AB condition), when no auditory target was present (i.e., no-AB condition), and when the probe followed an auditory target but occurred outside of the AB time window (i.e., no-AB condition). We observed a processing deficit when the probe immediately followed the target, and this auditory AB was accompanied by reduced P3b amplitude. Contrasting brain electrical source activity from the AB and no-AB conditions revealed reduced source activity in the medial temporal region as well as in the temporoparietal junction (extending into inferior parietal lobe), ventromedial prefrontal cortex, left anterior thalamic nuclei, mammillary body, and left cerebellum. The results indicate that successful probe identification following a target relies on a widely distributed brain network and further support the suggestion that the auditory AB reflects the failure of the probe to reach short-term consolidation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Within a rapid succession of auditory stimuli, the perception of a predefined target sound often impedes listeners' ability to detect another target sound that is presented close in succession. This attentional blink may be related to activity in brain areas supporting attention and memory. We show that the auditory attentional blink is associated with brain activity changes in a network including the medial temporal lobe, parietal cortex, and prefrontal cortex. This study suggests that a problem in the interaction between attention and memory underlies the auditory attentional blink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawei Shen
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care , Toronto, Ontario , Canada
| | - Dominique T Vuvan
- Department of Psychology, Skidmore College , Saratoga Springs, New York
| | - Claude Alain
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario , Canada
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20
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The acute effects of cocoa flavanols on temporal and spatial attention. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2018; 235:1497-1511. [PMID: 29502273 PMCID: PMC5920121 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-018-4861-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated how the acute physiological effects of cocoa flavanols might result in specific cognitive changes, in particular in temporal and spatial attention. To this end, we pre-registered and implemented a randomized, double-blind, placebo- and baseline-controlled crossover design. A sample of 48 university students participated in the study and each of them completed the experimental tasks in four conditions (baseline, placebo, low dose, and high-dose flavanol), administered in separate sessions with a 1-week washout interval. A rapid serial visual presentation task was used to test flavanol effects on temporal attention and integration, and a visual search task was similarly employed to investigate spatial attention. Results indicated that cocoa flavanols improved visual search efficiency, reflected by reduced reaction time. However, cocoa flavanols did not facilitate temporal attention nor integration, suggesting that flavanols may affect some aspects of attention, but not others. Potential underlying mechanisms are discussed.
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21
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Nityananda V. Attention-like processes in insects. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 283:rspb.2016.1986. [PMID: 27852803 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.1986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention is fundamentally important for sensory systems to focus on behaviourally relevant stimuli. It has therefore been an important field of study in human psychology and neuroscience. Primates, however, are not the only animals that might benefit from attention-like processes. Other animals, including insects, also have to use their senses and select one among many stimuli to forage, avoid predators and find mates. They have evolved different mechanisms to reduce the information processed by their brains to focus on only relevant stimuli. What are the mechanisms used by insects to selectively attend to visual and auditory stimuli? Do these attention-like mechanisms achieve the same functions as they do in primates? To investigate these questions, I use an established framework for investigating attention in non-human animals that proposes four fundamental components of attention: salience filters, competitive selection, top-down sensitivity control and working memory. I discuss evidence for each of these component processes in insects and compare the characteristics of these processes in insects to what we know from primates. Finally, I highlight important outstanding questions about insect attention that need to be addressed for us to understand the differences and similarities between vertebrate and insect attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivek Nityananda
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, Institute for Advanced Study, Wallotstraße 19, 14193, Berlin, Germany .,Institute of Neuroscience, Henry Wellcome Building for Neuroecology, Newcastle University, Framlington Place, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE2 4HH, UK
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22
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Asanowicz D, Kruse L, Śmigasiewicz K, Verleger R. Lateralization of spatial rather than temporal attention underlies the left hemifield advantage in rapid serial visual presentation. Brain Cogn 2017; 118:54-62. [PMID: 28797898 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
In bilateral rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), the second of two targets, T1 and T2, is better identified in the left visual field (LVF) than in the right visual field (RVF). This LVF advantage may reflect hemispheric asymmetry in temporal attention or/and in spatial orienting of attention. Participants performed two tasks: the "standard" bilateral RSVP task (Exp.1) and its unilateral variant (Exp.1 & 2). In the bilateral task, spatial location was uncertain, thus target identification involved stimulus-driven spatial orienting. In the unilateral task, the targets were presented block-wise in the LVF or RVF only, such that no spatial orienting was needed for target identification. Temporal attention was manipulated in both tasks by varying the T1-T2 lag. The results showed that the LVF advantage disappeared when involvement of stimulus-driven spatial orienting was eliminated, whereas the manipulation of temporal attention had no effect on the asymmetry. In conclusion, the results do not support the hypothesis of hemispheric asymmetry in temporal attention, and provide further evidence that the LVF advantage reflects right hemisphere predominance in stimulus-driven orienting of spatial attention. These conclusions fit evidence that temporal attention is implemented by bilateral parietal areas and spatial attention by the right-lateralized ventral frontoparietal network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Asanowicz
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland; Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Germany.
| | - Lena Kruse
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Germany
| | | | - Rolf Verleger
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Germany; Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Germany
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23
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Preißler S, Thielemann D, Dietrich C, Hofmann GO, Miltner WHR, Weiss T. Preliminary Evidence for Training-Induced Changes of Morphology and Phantom Limb Pain. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:319. [PMID: 28676749 PMCID: PMC5476738 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate whether a special prosthetic training in phantom limb pain patients aimed at increasing the functional use of the prosthesis leads to neural morphological plasticity of brain structures and a reduction in phantom limb pain. For chronic pain disorders, it was shown that morphological alterations due to pain might become at least partially reversed by pain therapies. Phantom limb pain is a chronic pain disorder that is frequently followed by neural plasticity of anatomical brain structures. In our study, 10 patients with amputation of the upper limb participated in a two-week training with a myoelectric prosthesis with somatosensory feedback. Grip strength was fed back with electrocutaneous stimulus patterns applied to the stump. Phantom limb pain was assessed before and after the two-week training. Similarly, two T1 weighted MRI scans were conducted for longitudinal thickness analyses of cortical brain structures. As result of this treatment, patients experienced a reduction in phantom limb pain and a gain in prosthesis functionality. Furthermore, we found a change of cortical thickness in small brain areas in the visual stream and the post-central gyrus ipsilateral to the amputation indicating morphological alterations in brain areas involved in vision and pain processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Preißler
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller UniversityJena, Germany
| | - Désirée Thielemann
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller UniversityJena, Germany
| | - Caroline Dietrich
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller UniversityJena, Germany
| | - Gunther O Hofmann
- Clinic for Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery, Berufsgenossenschaftliche Kliniken Bergmannstrost HalleHalle, Germany.,Department of Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital JenaJena, Germany
| | - Wolfgang H R Miltner
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller UniversityJena, Germany
| | - Thomas Weiss
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, Friedrich Schiller UniversityJena, Germany
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24
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Synchronization of fronto-parietal beta and theta networks as a signature of visual awareness in neglect. Neuroimage 2016; 146:341-354. [PMID: 27840240 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the neglect syndrome, the perceptual deficit for contra-lesional hemi-space is increasingly viewed as a dysfunction of fronto-parietal cortical networks, the disruption of which has been described in neuroanatomical and hemodynamic studies. Here we exploit the superior temporal resolution of electroencephalography (EEG) to study dynamic transient connectivity of fronto-parietal circuits at early stages of visual perception in neglect. As reflected by inter-regional phase synchronization in a full-field attention task, two functionally distinct fronto-parietal networks, in beta (15-25Hz) and theta (4-8Hz) frequency bands, were related to stimulus discrimination within the first 200 ms of visual processing. Neglect pathology was specifically associated with significant suppressions of both beta and theta networks engaging right parietal regions. These connectivity abnormalities occurred in a pattern that was distinctly different from what was observed in right-hemisphere lesion patients without neglect. Also, both beta and theta abnormalities contributed additively to visual awareness decrease, quantified in the Behavioural Inattention Test. These results provide evidence for the impairment of fast dynamic fronto-parietal interactions during early stages of visual processing in neglect pathology. Also, they reveal that different modes of fronto-parietal dysfunction contribute independently to deficits in visual awareness at the behavioural level.
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25
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Li K, Russell C, Balaji N, Saleh Y, Soto D, Malhotra PA. The effects of motivational reward on the pathological attentional blink following right hemisphere stroke. Neuropsychologia 2016; 92:190-196. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 03/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/29/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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26
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Dopamine and temporal attention: An attentional blink study in Parkinson's disease patients on and off medication. Neuropsychologia 2016; 91:407-414. [PMID: 27613667 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The current study aimed to shed more light on the role of dopamine in temporal attention. To this end, we pharmacologically manipulated dopamine levels in a large sample of Parkinson's disease patients (n=63) while they performed an attentional blink (AB) task in which they had to identify two targets (T1 and T2) presented in close temporal proximity among distractors. We specifically examined 1) differences in the magnitude of the AB between unmedicated Parkinson patients, who have depleted levels of striatal dopamine, and healthy controls, and 2) effects of two dopaminergic medications (l-DOPA and dopamine agonists) on the AB in the Parkinson patients at the group level and as a function of individual baseline performance. In line with the notion that relatively low levels of striatal dopamine may impair target detection in general, Parkinson patients OFF medications displayed overall poor target perception compared to healthy controls. Moreover, as predicted, effects of dopaminergic medication on AB performance critically depended on individual baseline AB size, although this effect was only observed for l-DOPA. l-DOPA generally decreased the size of the AB in patients with a large baseline AB (i.e., OFF medications), while l-DOPA generally increased the AB in patients with a small baseline AB. These findings may support a role for dopamine in the AB and temporal attention, more generally and corroborate the notion that there is an optimum dopamine level for cognitive function. They also emphasize the need for more studies that examine the separate effects of DA agonists and l-DOPA on cognitive functioning.
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27
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Jimenez AM, Lee J, Wynn JK, Cohen MS, Engel SA, Glahn DC, Nuechterlein KH, Reavis EA, Green MF. Abnormal Ventral and Dorsal Attention Network Activity during Single and Dual Target Detection in Schizophrenia. Front Psychol 2016; 7:323. [PMID: 27014135 PMCID: PMC4781842 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Early visual perception and attention are impaired in schizophrenia, and these deficits can be observed on target detection tasks. These tasks activate distinct ventral and dorsal brain networks which support stimulus-driven and goal-directed attention, respectively. We used single and dual target rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) tasks during fMRI with an ROI approach to examine regions within these networks associated with target detection and the attentional blink (AB) in 21 schizophrenia outpatients and 25 healthy controls. In both tasks, letters were targets and numbers were distractors. For the dual target task, the second target (T2) was presented at three different lags after the first target (T1) (lag1 = 100 ms, lag3 = 300 ms, lag7 = 700ms). For both single and dual target tasks, patients identified fewer targets than controls. For the dual target task, both groups showed the expected AB effect with poorer performance at lag 3 than at lags 1 or 7, and there was no group by lag interaction. During the single target task, patients showed abnormally increased deactivation of the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), a key region of the ventral network. When attention demands were increased during the dual target task, patients showed overactivation of the posterior intraparietal cortex, a key dorsal network region, along with failure to deactivate TPJ. Results suggest inefficient and faulty suppression of salience-oriented processing regions, resulting in increased sensitivity to stimuli in general, and difficulty distinguishing targets from non-targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Jimenez
- Desert Pacific MIRECC, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los AngelesCA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los AngelesCA, USA
| | - Junghee Lee
- Desert Pacific MIRECC, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los AngelesCA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los AngelesCA, USA
| | - Jonathan K Wynn
- Desert Pacific MIRECC, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los AngelesCA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los AngelesCA, USA
| | - Mark S Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Stephen A Engel
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, USA
| | - David C Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven CT, USA
| | - Keith H Nuechterlein
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA, USA
| | - Eric A Reavis
- Desert Pacific MIRECC, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los AngelesCA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los AngelesCA, USA
| | - Michael F Green
- Desert Pacific MIRECC, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los AngelesCA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California at Los Angeles, Los AngelesCA, USA
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28
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Dell'Acqua R, Doro M, Dux PE, Losier T, Jolicœur P. Enhanced frontal activation underlies sparing from the attentional blink: Evidence from human electrophysiology. Psychophysiology 2016; 53:623-33. [DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Dell'Acqua
- Cognitive Neuroscience Center; University of Padova; Padova Italy
- Department of Developmental Psychology; University of Padova; Padova Italy
| | - Mattia Doro
- Department of Developmental Psychology; University of Padova; Padova Italy
| | - Paul E. Dux
- School of Psychology; The University of Queensland; St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Talia Losier
- Department of Psychology; Université de Montréal; Montréal Québec Canada
| | - Pierre Jolicœur
- Department of Psychology; Université de Montréal; Montréal Québec Canada
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29
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Wang L, Chen J, Yang Z, Liu C, Deng Z, Chen A. Individual differences in the attentional blink: Evidence from the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in non-blinkers and blinkers. Biol Psychol 2015; 114:33-8. [PMID: 26610651 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) is a deficit in reporting the second target (T2) when it is presented within 500ms of the first target (T1) as part of a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). Despite the considerable number of imaging studies having investigated the neural correlates of the AB, differences in the spontaneous neural activity of non-blinkers and blinkers remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated this issue using the RSVP task in 43 participants. The results revealed that the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) in occipitotemporal regions and the cerebellum region was higher in blinkers than in non-blinkers. In contrast, the ALFF in frontoparietal regions was higher in non-blinkers than in blinkers. These findings suggest that the AB is due to an overinvestment of attentional resources in distractors as well as a weakness of attentional control in targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiangtao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhengyu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Zhou Deng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Antao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality of Ministry of Education, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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30
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London RE, Slagter HA. Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation over Left Dorsolateral pFC on the Attentional Blink Depend on Individual Baseline Performance. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 27:2382-93. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Selection mechanisms that dynamically gate only relevant perceptual information for further processing and sustained representation in working memory are critical for goal-directed behavior. We examined whether this gating process can be modulated by anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over left dorsolateral pFC (DLPFC)—a region known to play a key role in working memory and conscious access. Specifically, we examined the effects of tDCS on the magnitude of the so-called “attentional blink” (AB), a deficit in identifying the second of two targets presented in rapid succession. Thirty-four participants performed a standard AB task before (baseline), during, and after 20 min of 1-mA anodal and cathodal tDCS in two separate sessions. On the basis of previous reports linking individual differences in AB magnitude to individual differences in DLPFC activity and on suggestions that effects of tDCS depend on baseline brain activity levels, we hypothesized that anodal tDCS over left DLPFC would modulate the magnitude of the AB as a function of individual baseline AB magnitude. Indeed, individual differences analyses revealed that anodal tDCS decreased the AB in participants with a large baseline AB but increased the AB in participants with a small baseline AB. This effect was only observed during (but not after) stimulation, was not found for cathodal tDCS, and could not be explained by regression to the mean. Notably, the effects of tDCS were not apparent at the group level, highlighting the importance of taking individual variability in performance into account when evaluating the effectiveness of tDCS. These findings support the idea that left DLPFC plays a critical role in the AB and in conscious access more generally. They are also in line with the notion that there is an optimal level of prefrontal activity for cognitive function, with both too little and too much activity hurting performance.
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31
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Petro NM, Keil A. Pre-target oscillatory brain activity and the attentional blink. Exp Brain Res 2015; 233:3583-95. [PMID: 26341931 PMCID: PMC4651748 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4418-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2015] [Accepted: 08/13/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Reporting the second of two targets within a stream of distracting words during rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) is impaired when the targets are separated by a single distractor word, a deficit in temporal attention that has been referred to as the attentional blink (AB). Recent conceptual and empirical work has pointed to pre-target brain states as potential mediators of the AB effect. The current study examined differences in pre-target electrophysiology between correctly and incorrectly reported trials, considering amplitude and phase measures of alpha oscillations as well as the steady-state visual evoked potential (ssVEP) evoked by the RSVP stream. For incorrectly reported trials, relatively lower alpha-band power and greater ssVEP inter-trial phase locking were observed during extended time periods preceding presentation of the first target. These results suggest that facilitated processing of the pre-target distracter stream indexed by reduced alpha and heightened phase locking characterizes a dynamic brain state that predicts lower accuracy in terms of reporting the second target under strict temporal constraints. Findings align with hypotheses in which the AB effect is attributed to neurocognitive factors such as fluctuations in pre-target attention or to cognitive strategies applied at the trial level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan M Petro
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, PO Box 112766, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 112766, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
| | - Andreas Keil
- Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention, University of Florida, PO Box 112766, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, PO Box 112766, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
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Kranczioch C, Thorne JD. The beneficial effects of sounds on attentional blink performance: An ERP study. Neuroimage 2015; 117:429-38. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.05.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
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Inducing attention not to blink: auditory entrainment improves conscious visual processing. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015. [PMID: 26215434 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-015-0691-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Our ability to allocate attention at different moments in time can sometimes fail to select stimuli occurring in close succession, preventing visual information from reaching awareness. This so-called attentional blink (AB) occurs when the second of two targets (T2) is presented closely after the first (T1) in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP). We hypothesized that entrainment to a rhythmic stream of stimuli-before visual targets appear-would reduce the AB. Experiment 1 tested the effect of auditory entrainment by presenting sounds with a regular or irregular interstimulus interval prior to a RSVP where T1 and T2 were separated by three possible lags (1, 3 and 8). Experiment 2 examined visual entrainment by presenting visual stimuli in place of auditory stimuli. Results revealed that irrespective of sensory modality, arrhythmic stimuli preceding the RSVP triggered an alerting effect that improved the T2 identification at lag 1, but impaired the recovery from the AB at lag 8. Importantly, only auditory rhythmic entrainment was effective in reducing the AB at lag 3. Our findings demonstrate that manipulating the pre-stimulus condition can reduce deficits in temporal attention characterizing the human cognitive architecture, suggesting innovative trainings for acquired and neurodevelopmental disorders.
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34
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Kennedy BL, Most SB. The Rapid Perceptual Impact of Emotional Distractors. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0129320. [PMID: 26075603 PMCID: PMC4468095 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0129320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2014] [Accepted: 05/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The brief presentation of an emotional distractor can temporarily impair perception of a subsequent, rapidly presented target, an effect known as emotion-induced blindness (EIB). How rapidly does this impairment unfold? To probe this question, we examined EIB for targets that immediately succeeded (“lag-1”) emotional distractors in a rapid stream of items relative to EIB for targets at later serial positions. Experiments 1 and 2 suggested that emotional distractors interfere with items presented very soon after them, with impaired target perception emerging as early as lag-1. Experiment 3 included an exploratory examination of individual differences, which suggested that EIB onsets more rapidly among participants scoring high in measures linked to negative affect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briana L. Kennedy
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- * E-mail: (BK); (SM)
| | - Steven B. Most
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- * E-mail: (BK); (SM)
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35
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Yang YL, Deng HX, Xing GY, Xia XL, Li HF. Brain functional network connectivity based on a visual task: visual information processing-related brain regions are significantly activated in the task state. Neural Regen Res 2015; 10:298-307. [PMID: 25883631 PMCID: PMC4392680 DOI: 10.4103/1673-5374.152386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
It is not clear whether the method used in functional brain-network related research can be applied to explore the feature binding mechanism of visual perception. In this study, we investigated feature binding of color and shape in visual perception. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 38 healthy volunteers at rest and while performing a visual perception task to construct brain networks active during resting and task states. Results showed that brain regions involved in visual information processing were obviously activated during the task. The components were partitioned using a greedy algorithm, indicating the visual network existed during the resting state. Z-values in the vision-related brain regions were calculated, confirming the dynamic balance of the brain network. Connectivity between brain regions was determined, and the result showed that occipital and lingual gyri were stable brain regions in the visual system network, the parietal lobe played a very important role in the binding process of color features and shape features, and the fusiform and inferior temporal gyri were crucial for processing color and shape information. Experimental findings indicate that understanding visual feature binding and cognitive processes will help establish computational models of vision, improve image recognition technology, and provide a new theoretical mechanism for feature binding in visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Li Yang
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Hong-Xia Deng
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Gui-Yang Xing
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Xiao-Luan Xia
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
| | - Hai-Fang Li
- School of Computer Science and Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China
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36
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Skogsberg K, Grabowecky M, Wilt J, Revelle W, Iordanescu L, Suzuki S. A relational structure of voluntary visual-attention abilities. J Exp Psychol Hum Percept Perform 2015; 41:761-89. [PMID: 25867505 DOI: 10.1037/a0039000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Many studies have examined attention mechanisms involved in specific behavioral tasks (e.g., search, tracking, distractor inhibition). However, relatively little is known about the relationships among those attention mechanisms. Is there a fundamental attention faculty that makes a person superior or inferior at most types of attention tasks, or do relatively independent processes mediate different attention skills? We focused on individual differences in voluntary visual-attention abilities using a battery of 11 representative tasks. An application of parallel analysis, hierarchical-cluster analysis, and multidimensional scaling to the intertask correlation matrix revealed 4 functional clusters, representing spatiotemporal attention, global attention, transient attention, and sustained attention, organized along 2 dimensions, one contrasting spatiotemporal and global attention and the other contrasting transient and sustained attention. Comparison with the neuroscience literature suggests that the spatiotemporal-global dimension corresponds to the dorsal frontoparietal circuit and the transient-sustained dimension corresponds to the ventral frontoparietal circuit, with distinct subregions mediating the separate clusters within each dimension. We also obtained highly specific patterns of gender difference and of deficits for college students with elevated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder traits. These group differences suggest that different mechanisms of voluntary visual attention can be selectively strengthened or weakened based on genetic, experiential, and/or pathological factors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joshua Wilt
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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37
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Wang H, Sun P, Ip C, Zhao X, Fu S. Configural and featural face processing are differently modulated by attentional resources at early stages: an event-related potential study with rapid serial visual presentation. Brain Res 2015; 1602:75-84. [PMID: 25601005 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2015.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2014] [Revised: 01/04/2015] [Accepted: 01/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
It is widely reported that face recognition relies on two dissociable mechanisms, the featural and the configural processing. However, it is unclear whether these two processing types involve different neural mechanisms and are differently modulated by attentional resources. Using the attentional blink (AB) paradigm, we aimed to investigate the effect of attentional resources on configural and featural face processing by recording event-related potentials (ERPs). The amount of attentional resources was manipulated as deficient or sufficient by presenting the second target (T2) in or out of the AB period, respectively. We found that in addition to a traditional P3 attention effect, the amplitude of N170/VPP to the T2 stimuli was also sensitive to attentional resources, suggesting that attention affects face processing at an earlier perceptual processing stage. More importantly, configural face processing elicited a larger posterior P1 compared to featural face processing, but only when the attentional resources were sufficient. In contrast, the anterior N1 was larger for configural relative to featural face processing only when the attentional resources were deficient. These results suggest that early stages of configural and featural face processing are differently modulated by attentional resources, possibly with different underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hailing Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Pei Sun
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Chengteng Ip
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shimin Fu
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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38
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Bonnì S, Perri R, Fadda L, Tomaiuolo F, Koch G, Caltagirone C, Carlesimo GA. Selective deficit of spatial short-term memory: Role of storage and rehearsal mechanisms. Cortex 2014; 59:22-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Revised: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 06/10/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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39
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de Graaf TA, Sack AT. Using brain stimulation to disentangle neural correlates of conscious vision. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1019. [PMID: 25295015 PMCID: PMC4171988 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Research into the neural correlates of consciousness (NCCs) has blossomed, due to the advent of new and increasingly sophisticated brain research tools. Neuroimaging has uncovered a variety of brain processes that relate to conscious perception, obtained in a range of experimental paradigms. But methods such as functional magnetic resonance imaging or electroencephalography do not always afford inference on the functional role these brain processes play in conscious vision. Such empirical NCCs could reflect neural prerequisites, neural consequences, or neural substrates of a conscious experience. Here, we take a closer look at the use of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) techniques in this context. We discuss and review how NIBS methodology can enlighten our understanding of brain mechanisms underlying conscious vision by disentangling the empirical NCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A de Graaf
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands ; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Alexander T Sack
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Maastricht, Netherlands ; Maastricht Brain Imaging Centre Maastricht, Netherlands
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40
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Abstract
Psychopathy is a developmental disorder marked by emotional deficits and an increased risk for antisocial behavior. It is not equivalent to the diagnosis Antisocial Personality Disorder, which concentrates only on the increased risk for antisocial behavior and not a specific cause—ie, the reduced empathy and guilt that constitutes the emotional deficit. The current review considers data from adults with psychopathy with respect to the main cognitive accounts of the disorder that stress either a primary attention deficit or a primary emotion deficit. In addition, the current review considers data regarding the neurobiology of this disorder. Dysfunction within the amygdala's role in reinforcement learning and the role of ventromedial frontal cortex in the representation of reinforcement value is stressed. Data is also presented indicating potential difficulties within parts of temporal and posterior cingulate cortex. Suggestions are made with respect to why these deficits lead to the development of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- R James R Blair
- Section of Affective Cognitive Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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41
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Two speed factors of visual recognition independently correlated with fluid intelligence. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97429. [PMID: 24825574 PMCID: PMC4019569 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Growing evidence indicates a moderate but significant relationship between processing speed in visuo-cognitive tasks and general intelligence. On the other hand, findings from neuroscience proposed that the primate visual system consists of two major pathways, the ventral pathway for objects recognition and the dorsal pathway for spatial processing and attentive analysis. Previous studies seeking for visuo-cognitive factors of human intelligence indicated a significant correlation between fluid intelligence and the inspection time (IT), an index for a speed of object recognition performed in the ventral pathway. We thus presently examined a possibility that neural processing speed in the dorsal pathway also represented a factor of intelligence. Specifically, we used the mental rotation (MR) task, a popular psychometric measure for mental speed of spatial processing in the dorsal pathway. We found that the speed of MR was significantly correlated with intelligence scores, while it had no correlation with one’s IT (recognition speed of visual objects). Our results support the new possibility that intelligence could be explained by two types of mental speed, one related to object recognition (IT) and another for manipulation of mental images (MR).
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42
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Raffone A, Srinivasan N, van Leeuwen C. Perceptual awareness and its neural basis: bridging experimental and theoretical paradigms. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2014; 369:20130203. [PMID: 24639576 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding consciousness is a major scientific challenge of our times, and perceptual awareness is an integral part of that challenge. This Theme Issue aims to provide a timely focus on crucial insights from leading scientists on perceptual awareness and its neural basis. The issue refers to key research questions and findings in perceptual awareness research and aims to be a catalyst for further research, by bringing together the state-of-the-art. It shows how bridges are being built between empirical and theoretical research and proposes new directions for the study of multisensory awareness and the role of the states of the body therein. In this introduction, we highlight crucial problems that have characterized the development of the study of perceptual awareness. We then provide an overview of major experimental and theoretical paradigms related to perceptual awareness and its neural basis. Finally, we present an overview of the Theme Issue, with reference to the contributed articles and their relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Raffone
- Department of Psychology, 'Sapienza' University of Rome, , Rome, Italy
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43
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The influence of training on the attentional blink and psychological refractory period. Atten Percept Psychophys 2014; 76:979-99. [DOI: 10.3758/s13414-014-0638-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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44
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Nakatani C, Raffone A, van Leeuwen C. Efficiency of conscious access improves with coupling of slow and fast neural oscillations. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 26:1168-79. [PMID: 24345169 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Global workspace access is considered as a critical factor for the ability to report a visual target. A plausible candidate mechanism for global workspace access is coupling of slow and fast brain activity. We studied coupling in EEG data using cross-frequency phase-amplitude modulation measurement between delta/theta phases and beta/gamma amplitudes from two experimental sessions, held on different days, of a typical attentional blink (AB) task, implying conscious access to targets. As the AB effect improved with practice between sessions, theta-gamma and theta-beta coupling increased generically. Most importantly, practice effects observed in delta-gamma and delta-beta couplings were specific to performance on the AB task. In particular, delta-gamma coupling showed the largest increase in cases of correct target detection in the most challenging AB conditions. All these practice effects were observed in the right temporal region. Given that the delta band is the main frequency of the P3 ERP, which is a marker of global workspace activity for conscious access, and because the gamma band is involved in visual object processing, the current results substantiate the role of phase-amplitude modulation in conscious access to visual target representations.
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45
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Dispaldro M, Leonard LB, Corradi N, Ruffino M, Bronte T, Facoetti A. Visual attentional engagement deficits in children with specific language impairment and their role in real-time language processing. Cortex 2013; 49:2126-39. [PMID: 23154040 PMCID: PMC4430851 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2012.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2012] [Revised: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In order to become a proficient user of language, infants must detect temporal cues embedded within the noisy acoustic spectra of ongoing speech by efficient attentional engagement. According to the neuro-constructivist approach, a multi-sensory dysfunction of attentional engagement - hampering the temporal sampling of stimuli - might be responsible for language deficits typically shown in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). In the present study, the efficiency of visual attentional engagement was investigated in 22 children with SLI and 22 typically developing (TD) children by measuring attentional masking (AM). AM refers to impaired identification of the first of two sequentially presented masked objects (O1 and O2) in which the O1-O2 interval was manipulated. Lexical and grammatical comprehension abilities were also tested in both groups. Children with SLI showed a sluggish engagement of temporal attention, and individual differences in AM accounted for a significant percentage of unique variance in grammatical performance. Our results suggest that an attentional engagement deficit - probably linked to a dysfunction of the right fronto-parietal attentional network - might be a contributing factor in these children's language impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Dispaldro
- Language Acquisition Lab, Dipartimento di Psicologia dello Sviluppo e Socializzazione, Università di Padova, Italy
| | - Laurence B. Leonard
- Child Language Research Lab, Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences Department, Purdue University, IN, USA
| | - Nicola Corradi
- Developmental & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Italy
| | - Milena Ruffino
- Unità di Neuropsicologia dello Sviluppo, Istituto Scientifico “E. Medea” di Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
| | - Tiziana Bronte
- Centro Medico di Foniatria, Casa di Cura “Trieste”, Padova, Italy
| | - Andrea Facoetti
- Developmental & Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Italy
- Unità di Neuropsicologia dello Sviluppo, Istituto Scientifico “E. Medea” di Bosisio Parini, Lecco, Italy
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46
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Harris JA, McMahon AR, Woldorff MG. Disruption of visual awareness during the attentional blink is reflected by selective disruption of late-stage neural processing. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 25:1863-74. [PMID: 23859644 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Any information represented in the brain holds the potential to influence behavior. It is therefore of broad interest to determine the extent and quality of neural processing of stimulus input that occurs with and without awareness. The attentional blink is a useful tool for dissociating neural and behavioral measures of perceptual visual processing across conditions of awareness. The extent of higher-order visual information beyond basic sensory signaling that is processed during the attentional blink remains controversial. To determine what neural processing at the level of visual-object categorization occurs in the absence of awareness, electrophysiological responses to images of faces and houses were recorded both within and outside the attentional blink period during a rapid serial visual presentation stream. Electrophysiological results were sorted according to behavioral performance (correctly identified targets vs. missed targets) within these blink and nonblink periods. An early index of face-specific processing (the N170, 140- to 220-msec poststimulus) was observed regardless of whether the participant demonstrated awareness of the stimulus, whereas a later face-specific effect with the same topographic distribution (500- to 700-msec poststimulus) was only seen for accurate behavioral discrimination of the stimulus content. The present findings suggest a multistage process of object-category processing, with only the later phase being associated with explicit visual awareness.
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47
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Asplund CL, Chee MWL. Time-on-task and sleep deprivation effects are evidenced in overlapping brain areas. Neuroimage 2013; 82:326-35. [PMID: 23747456 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2013] [Revised: 05/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Both sleep deprivation and extended task engagement (time-on-task) have been shown to degrade performance in tasks evaluating sustained attention. Here we used pulsed arterial spin labeling (pASL) to study participants engaged in a demanding selective attention task. The participants were imaged twice, once after a normal night of sleep and once after approximately 24h of total sleep deprivation. We compared task-related changes in BOLD signal alongside ASL-based cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes. We also collected resting baseline CBF data prior to and following task performance. Both BOLD fMRI and ASL identified spatially congruent task activation in ventral visual cortex and fronto-parietal regions. Sleep deprivation and time-on-task caused a decline of both measures in ventral visual cortex. BOLD fMRI also revealed such declines in fronto-parietal cortex. Only early visual cortex showed a significant upward shift in resting baseline CBF following sleep deprivation, suggesting that the neural consequences of both SD and ToT are primarily evident in task-evoked signals. We conclude that BOLD fMRI is preferable to pASL in studies evaluating sleep deprivation given its better signal to noise characteristics and the relative paucity of state differences in baseline CBF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Asplund
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
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48
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Maloney RT, Jayakumar J, Levichkina EV, Pigarev IN, Vidyasagar TR. Information processing bottlenecks in macaque posterior parietal cortex: an attentional blink? Exp Brain Res 2013; 228:365-76. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-013-3569-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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49
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McHugo M, Olatunji BO, Zald DH. The emotional attentional blink: what we know so far. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:151. [PMID: 23630482 PMCID: PMC3632779 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Accepted: 04/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The emotional attentional blink (EAB), also known as emotion-induced blindness, refers to a phenomenon in which the brief appearance of a task-irrelevant, emotionally arousing image captures attention to such an extent that individuals cannot detect target stimuli for several hundred ms after the emotional stimulus. The EAB allows for mental chronometry of stimulus-driven attention and the time needed to disengage and refocus goal-directed attention. In this review, we discuss current evidence for the mechanisms through which the EAB occurs. Although the EAB shares some similarities to both surprise-induced blindness (SiB) and other paradigms for assessing emotion-attention interactions, it possesses features that are distinct from these paradigms, and thus appears to provide a unique measure of the influence of emotion on stimulus-driven attention. The neural substrates of the EAB are not completely understood, but neuroimaging and neuropsychological data suggest some possible neural mechanisms underlying the phenomenon. The importance of understanding the EAB is highlighted by recent evidence indicating that EAB tasks can detect altered sensitivity to disorder relevant stimuli in psychiatric conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen McHugo
- Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, USA ; Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN, USA
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50
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Dissociation between process-based and data-based limitations for conscious perception in the human brain. Neuroimage 2012; 64:399-406. [PMID: 22982356 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Revised: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Successful performance of a cognitive task depends upon both the quality of the sensory information and the processing resources available to perform that task. Thus, task performance can either be data-limited or process-limited (D. A. Norman and D. G. Bobrow, 1975). Using fMRI, we show that these conceptual distinctions are neurally dissociable: A parieto-frontal network involved in conscious perception is modulated by target interference manipulations that strain attentional processing, but not by equally difficult manipulations that limit the quality of target information. These results suggest that limitations imposed by processing capacity have distinct neural effects from those arising from the quality of sensory input, and provide empirical support for an influential neurobiological theory of consciousness (S. Dehaene, J.-P. Changeux, L. Naccache, J. Sackur, and C. Sergent, 2006).
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