The Time Course of Spatial Attention

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Eimer
Keyword(s):  
Selective Attention ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Brain Potential ◽  
The Past ◽  
Technical Review

Event-related brain potential (ERP) measures have made important contributions to our understanding of the mechanisms of selective attention. This chapter provides a selective and non-technical review of some of these contributions. It will concentrate mainly on research that has studied spatially selective attentional processing in vision, although research on crossmodal links in spatial attention will also be discussed. The main purpose of this chapter is to illustrate how ERP methods have helped to provide answers to major theoretical questions that have shaped research on selective attention in the past 40 years.

scholarly journals Multisensory Spatial Attention Deficits Are Predictive of Phonological Decoding Skills in Developmental Dyslexia

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 1011-1025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Facoetti ◽  
Anna Noemi Trussardi ◽  
Milena Ruffino ◽  
Maria Luisa Lorusso ◽  
Carmen Cattaneo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Developmental Dyslexia ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Reading Performance ◽  
Reading Level ◽  
Decoding Skills ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Phonological Decoding ◽  
Decoding Accuracy ◽  
Deficit Theory

Although the dominant approach posits that developmental dyslexia arises from deficits in systems that are exclusively linguistic in nature (i.e., phonological deficit theory), dyslexics show a variety of lower level deficits in sensory and attentional processing. Although their link to the reading disorder remains contentious, recent empirical and computational studies suggest that spatial attention plays an important role in phonological decoding. The present behavioral study investigated exogenous spatial attention in dyslexic children and matched controls by measuring RTs to visual and auditory stimuli in cued-detection tasks. Dyslexics with poor nonword decoding accuracy showed a slower time course of visual and auditory (multisensory) spatial attention compared with both chronological age and reading level controls as well as compared with dyslexics with slow but accurate nonword decoding. Individual differences in the time course of multisensory spatial attention accounted for 31% of unique variance in the nonword reading performance of the entire dyslexic sample after controlling for age, IQ, and phonological skills. The present study suggests that multisensory “sluggish attention shifting”—related to a temporoparietal dysfunction—selectively impairs the sublexical mechanisms that are critical for reading development. These findings may offer a new approach for early identification and remediation of developmental dyslexia.

The Effects of Coarseness of Quantisation, Exposure Duration, and Selective Spatial Attention on the Perception of Spatially Quantised (‘Blocked’) Visual Images

Perception ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1181-1196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talis Bachmann ◽  
Neeme Kahusk
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Abrupt Decrease ◽  
A Minor ◽  
Onset Asynchrony ◽  
Coarse To Fine

The two objectives of the present article are (a) to present a brief overview of the effects of systematic variation of the spatial-scale value of quantisation and stimulus duration on the identification of original images that have been degraded by Harmon–Julesz type of image pixelisation by ‘blocking’ and (b) to report the results of two experiments where the effects of selective spatial precuing by local and global peripheral precues on the identification of quantised target stimuli have been studied. Both the overview and the new results reported here demonstrate some counterintuitive effects: (1) abrupt decrease in identification efficiency with only a minor change in the coarseness of quantisation over a critical value of pixels per stimulus; (2) a cost for valid attentional precuing with coarse-quantised images. If physical precues (exposed with stimulus onset asynchrony of 120 ms) were employed in order to orient spatial attention to perceive original or fine-quantised stimuli, then attentional facilitation was found. However, if the precued stimuli were coarse quantised then the facilitative effect crossed over to a detrimental effect of attention. These effects are discussed in the context of the microgenetic approach that presupposes the existence of a perceptual–attentional processing routine that operates according to the coarse-to-fine time-course rule of selective attentional activation of stimulus representations at various spatial scales.

scholarly journals When “It” Becomes “Mine”: Attentional Biases Triggered by Object Ownership

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 3725-3733 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Turk ◽  
Kim van Bussel ◽  
Joanne L. Brebner ◽  
Andreea S. Toma ◽  
Olav Krigolson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Selective Attention ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Attentional Biases ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
P300 Component ◽  
On Line ◽  
The Moment

Previous research has demonstrated that higher-order cognitive processes associated with the allocation of selective attention are engaged when highly familiar self-relevant items are encountered, such as one's name, face, personal possessions and the like. The goal of our study was to determine whether these effects on attentional processing are triggered on-line at the moment self-relevance is established. In a pair of experiments, we recorded ERPs as participants viewed common objects (e.g., apple, socks, and ketchup) in the context of an “ownership” paradigm, where the presentation of each object was followed by a cue indicating whether the object nominally belonged either to the participant (a “self” cue) or the experimenter (an “other” cue). In Experiment 1, we found that “self” ownership cues were associated with increased attentional processing, as measured via the P300 component. In Experiment 2, we replicated this effect while demonstrating that at a visual–perceptual level, spatial attention became more narrowly focused on objects owned by self, as measured via the lateral occipital P1 ERP component. Taken together, our findings indicate that self-relevant attention effects are triggered by the act of taking ownership of objects associated with both perceptual and postperceptual processing in cortex.

scholarly journals Rapid orienting of spatial attention toward and away from aggressive voices

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Burra ◽  
Dirk Kerzel ◽  
David Munoz ◽  
Didier Grandjean ◽  
Leonardo Ceravolo
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Auditory Processing ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Stimulus Onset ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Auditory Modality ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Auditory Spatial Attention ◽  
Vocal Signals

Salient vocalizations, especially aggressive voices, are believed to attract attention due to an automatic threat detection system. However, studies assessing the temporal dynamics of auditory spatial attention to aggressive voices are missing. Using event-related potential markers of auditory spatial attention (N2ac and LPCpc), we show that attentional processing of threatening vocal signals is enhanced at two different stages of auditory processing. As early as 200 ms post stimulus onset, attentional orienting/engagement is enhanced for threatening as compared to happy vocal signals. Subsequently, as early as 400 ms post stimulus onset, the reorienting of auditory attention to the center of the screen (or disengagement from the target) is enhanced. This latter effect is consistent with the need to optimize perception by balancing the intake of stimulation from left and right auditory space. Our results extend the scope of theories from the visual to the auditory modality by showing that threatening stimuli also bias early spatial attention in the auditory modality. Although not the focus of the present work, we observed that the attentional enhancement was more pronounced in female than male participants.

scholarly journals Hazard and risk assessment strategies for nanoparticle exposures: how far have we come in the past 10 years?

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 376 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B Warheit
Keyword(s):  
Health Effects ◽  
Ultrafine Particles ◽  
Time Course ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Particle Size Range ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
Safety Research ◽  
Made In

Nanotechnology is an emerging, cross-disciplinary technology designed to create and synthesize new materials at the nanoscale (generally defined as a particle size range of ≤10-9 meters) to generate innovative or altered material properties. The particle properties can be modified to promote different and more flexible applications, resulting in consumer benefits, particularly in medical, cosmetic, and industrial applications. As this applied science matures and flourishes, concerns have arisen regarding potential health effects of exposures to untested materials, as many newly developed products have not been adequately evaluated. Indeed, it is necessary to ensure that societal and commercial advantages are not outweighed by potential human health or environmental disadvantages. Therefore, a variety of international planning activities or research efforts have been proposed or implemented, particularly in the European Union and United States, with the expectation that significant advances will be made in understanding potential hazards related to exposures in the occupational and/or consumer environments. One of the first conclusions reached regarding hazardous effects of nanoparticles stemmed from the findings of early pulmonary toxicology studies, suggesting that lung exposures to ultrafine particles were more toxic than those to larger, fine-sized particles of similar chemistry. This review documents some of the conceptual planning efforts, implementation strategies/activities, and research accomplishments over the past 10 years or so. It also highlights (in this author’s opinion) some shortcomings in the research efforts and accomplishments over the same duration. In general, much progress has been made in developing and implementing environmental, health, and safety research-based protocols for addressing nanosafety issues. However, challenges remain in adequately investigating health effects given 1) many different nanomaterial types, 2) various potential routes of exposure, 3) nanomaterial characterization issues, 4) limitations in research methodologies, such as time-course and dose-response issues, and 5) inadequate in vitro methodologies for in vivo standardized, guideline toxicity testing.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document