scholarly journals Cross-modal orienting of exogenous attention results in visual-cortical facilitation, not suppression

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Keefe ◽  
Emilia Pokta ◽  
Viola S. Störmer
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Exogenous Attention ◽  
Peripheral Target ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Auditory Cue ◽  
Visual Cortical

AbstractAttention may be oriented exogenously (i.e., involuntarily) to the location of salient stimuli, resulting in improved perception. However, it is unknown whether exogenous attention improves perception by facilitating processing of attended information, suppressing processing of unattended information, or both. To test this question, we measured behavioral performance and cue-elicited neural changes in the electroencephalogram as participants (N = 19) performed a task in which a spatially non-predictive auditory cue preceded a visual target. Critically, this cue was either presented at a peripheral target location or from the center of the screen, allowing us to isolate spatially specific attentional activity. We find that both behavior and attention-mediated changes in visual-cortical activity are enhanced at the location of a cue prior to the onset of a target, but that behavior and neural activity at an unattended target location are equivalent to that following a central cue that does not direct attention (i.e., baseline). These results suggest that exogenous attention operates solely via facilitation of information at an attended location.

scholarly journals Cross-modal orienting of exogenous attention results in visual-cortical facilitation, not suppression

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Keefe ◽  
Emilia Pokta ◽  
Viola S. Störmer
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Exogenous Attention ◽  
Peripheral Target ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Auditory Cue ◽  
Visual Cortical

AbstractAttention may be oriented exogenously (i.e., involuntarily) to the location of salient stimuli, resulting in improved perception. However, it is unknown whether exogenous attention improves perception by facilitating processing of attended information, suppressing processing of unattended information, or both. To test this question, we measured behavioral performance and cue-elicited neural changes in the electroencephalogram as participants (N = 19) performed a task in which a spatially non-predictive auditory cue preceded a visual target. Critically, this cue was either presented at a peripheral target location or from the center of the screen, allowing us to isolate spatially specific attentional activity. We find that both behavior and attention-mediated changes in visual-cortical activity are enhanced at the location of a cue prior to the onset of a target, but that behavior and neural activity at an unattended target location is equivalent to that following a central cue that does not direct attention (i.e., baseline). These results suggest that exogenous attention operates via facilitation of information at an attended location.

scholarly journals Memory-Guided Saccades in Psychosis: Effects of Medication and Stimulus Location

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1071
Author(s):  
Eleanor S. Smith ◽  
Trevor J. Crawford
Keyword(s):  
Target Location ◽  
Bipolar Affective Disorder ◽  
Gain Control ◽  
Stimulus Location ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Diagnostic Classification ◽  
Eye Position ◽  
Peripheral Target ◽  
Auditory Cue ◽  
Saccade Task

The memory-guided saccade task requires the remembrance of a peripheral target location, whilst inhibiting the urge to make a saccade ahead of an auditory cue. The literature has explored the endophenotypic deficits associated with differences in target laterality, but less is known about target amplitude. The data presented came from Crawford et al. (1995), employing a memory-guided saccade task among neuroleptically medicated and non-medicated patients with schizophrenia (n = 31, n = 12), neuroleptically medicated and non-medicated bipolar affective disorder (n = 12, n = 17), and neurotypical controls (n = 30). The current analyses explore the relationships between memory-guided saccades toward targets with different eccentricities (7.5° and 15°), the discernible behaviour exhibited amongst diagnostic groups, and cohorts distinguished based on psychotic symptomatology. Saccade gain control and final eye position were reduced among medicated-schizophrenia patients. These metrics were reduced further among targets with greater amplitudes (15°), indicating greater deficit. The medicated cohort exhibited reduced gain control and final eye positions in both amplitudes compared to the non-medicated cohort, with deficits markedly observed for the furthest targets. No group differences in symptomatology (positive and negative) were reported, however, a greater deficit was observed toward the larger amplitude. This suggests that within the memory-guided saccade paradigm, diagnostic classification is more prominent in characterising disparities in saccade performance than symptomatology.

The Effects of Cue Informativeness and Signal Amplitude on Auditory Spatial Facilitation of Visual Performance

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 556-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greg. E. Fujawa ◽  
Thomas Z. Strybel
Keyword(s):  
Target Location ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Signal Amplitude ◽  
Visual Performance ◽  
Lateral Side ◽  
Auditory Cue ◽  
Spatial Facilitation ◽  
Random Location ◽  
Target Locations ◽  
Minimal Information

Research with aurally-aided visual search has demonstrated that a spatial auditory cue facilitates detection of a visual target. By varying both the informativeness of the cue and the amplitude of the cue, this study sought to evaluate the underlying attentional mechanisms involved in this facilitation. In varying informativeness, the auditory cue was either located at the exact location of a target (valid) or at a random location on the opposite lateral side of the target (invalid); the percentage of valid cues (vs. invalid cues) varied at 5%, 25% and 95%. These percentages indicated precise target location (95%), general target location (5%) and minimal information regarding target location (25%). The amplitude of the auditory cue varied at 40dB and 70 dB. The results indicated that the observer can control the allocation of attention toward the target, and that cues indicating general locations are processed differently that cues indicating specific target locations.

scholarly journals Mental Rotation Meets the Motion Aftereffect: The Role of hV5/MT+ in Visual Mental Imagery

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1395-1404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Seurinck ◽  
Floris P. de Lange ◽  
Erik Achten ◽  
Guy Vingerhoets
Keyword(s):  
Mental Rotation ◽  
Mental Imagery ◽  
Parietal Cortex ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
Posterior Parietal Cortex ◽  
Visual Motion ◽  
Motion Aftereffect ◽  
Mental Rotation Task ◽  
Behavioral Performance ◽  
Visual Mental Imagery

A growing number of studies show that visual mental imagery recruits the same brain areas as visual perception. Although the necessity of hV5/MT+ for motion perception has been revealed by means of TMS, its relevance for motion imagery remains unclear. We induced a direction-selective adaptation in hV5/MT+ by means of an MAE while subjects performed a mental rotation task that elicits imagined motion. We concurrently measured behavioral performance and neural activity with fMRI, enabling us to directly assess the effect of a perturbation of hV5/MT+ on other cortical areas involved in the mental rotation task. The activity in hV5/MT+ increased as more mental rotation was required, and the perturbation of hV5/MT+ affected behavioral performance as well as the neural activity in this area. Moreover, several regions in the posterior parietal cortex were also affected by this perturbation. Our results show that hV5/MT+ is required for imagined visual motion and engages in an interaction with parietal cortex during this cognitive process.

scholarly journals Changes in activity of fast-spiking interneurons of the monkey striatum during reaching at a visual target

2017 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kévin Marche ◽  
Paul Apicella
Keyword(s):  
Target Location ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Movement Speed ◽  
Gabaergic Interneurons ◽  
Movement Preparation ◽  
Movement Initiation ◽  
Reaching Task ◽  
Advance Information ◽  
Fast Spiking ◽  
Task Conditions

Recent works highlight the importance of local inhibitory interneurons in regulating the function of the striatum. In particular, fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), which likely correspond to a subgroup of GABAergic interneurons, have been involved in the control of movement by exerting strong inhibition on striatal output pathways. However, little is known about the exact contribution of these presumed interneurons in movement preparation, initiation, and execution. We recorded the activity of FSIs in the striatum of monkeys as they performed reaching movements to a visual target under two task conditions: one in which the movement target was presented at unsignaled left or right locations, and another in which advance information about target location was available, thus allowing monkeys to react faster. Modulations of FSI activity around the initiation of movement (53% of 55 neurons) consisted mostly of increases reaching maximal firing immediately before or, less frequently, after movement onset. Another subset of FSIs showed decreases in activity during movement execution. Rarely did movement-related changes in FSI firing depend on response direction and movement speed. Modulations of FSI activity occurring relatively early in relation to movement initiation were more influenced by the preparation for movement, compared with those occurring later. Conversely, FSI activity remained unaffected, as monkeys were preparing a movement toward a specific location and instead moved to the opposite direction when the trigger occurred. These results provide evidence that changes in activity of presumed GABAergic interneurons of the primate striatum could make distinct contributions to processes involved in movement generation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We explored the functional contributions of striatal fast-spiking interneurons (FSIs), presumed GABAergic interneurons, to distinct steps of movement generation in monkeys performing a reaching task. The activity of individual FSIs was modulated before and during the movement, consisting mostly of increased in firing rates. Changes in activity also occurred during movement preparation. We interpret this variety of modulation types at different moments of task performance as reflecting differential FSI control over distinct phases of movement.

scholarly journals Prefrontal cortical plasticity during learning of cognitive tasks

2022 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Tang ◽  
Mitchell R. Riley ◽  
Balbir Singh ◽  
Xue-Lian Qi ◽  
David T. Blake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Activity ◽  
Cortical Plasticity ◽  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Phase Changes ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Training Phase ◽  
Field Potentials ◽  
Electrode Arrays ◽  
Control Task ◽  
Prefrontal Cortical

AbstractTraining in working memory tasks is associated with lasting changes in prefrontal cortical activity. To assess the neural activity changes induced by training, we recorded single units, multi-unit activity (MUA) and local field potentials (LFP) with chronic electrode arrays implanted in the prefrontal cortex of two monkeys, throughout the period they were trained to perform cognitive tasks. Mastering different task phases was associated with distinct changes in neural activity, which included recruitment of larger numbers of neurons, increases or decreases of their firing rate, changes in the correlation structure between neurons, and redistribution of power across LFP frequency bands. In every training phase, changes induced by the actively learned task were also observed in a control task, which remained the same across the training period. Our results reveal how learning to perform cognitive tasks induces plasticity of prefrontal cortical activity, and how activity changes may generalize between tasks.

The role of brachial muscle spindle signals in assignment of visual direction

1993 ◽  
Vol 70 (4) ◽  
pp. 1578-1584 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. DiZio ◽  
C. E. Lathan ◽  
J. R. Lackner
Keyword(s):  
Apparent Motion ◽  
Muscle Spindle ◽  
Target Location ◽  
Biceps Brachii ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Visual Direction ◽  
Muscle Vibration ◽  
Illusory Motion ◽  
The Stability

1. In the oculobrachial illusion, a target light attached to the unseen stationary hand is perceived as moving and changing spatial position when illusory motion of the forearm is elicited by brachial muscle vibration. Our goal was to see whether we could induce apparent motion and displacement of two retinally fixed targets in opposite directions by the use of oculobrachial illusions. 2. We vibrated both biceps brachii, generating illusory movements of the two forearms in opposite directions, and measured any associated changes in perceived distance between target lights on the unseen stationary hands. The stability of visual fixation of one of the targets was also measured. 3. The seen distance between the stationary targets increased significantly when vibration induced an illusory increase in felt distance between the hands, both with binocular and monocular viewing. 4. Subjects maintained fixation accuracy equally well during vibration-induced illusory increases in visual target separation and in a no-vibration control condition. Fixation errors were not correlated with the extent or direction of illusory visual separation. 5. These findings indicate that brachial muscle spindle signals can contribute to an independent representation of felt target location in head-centric coordinates that can be interrelated with a visual representation of target location generated by retinal and oculomotor signals. 6. A model of how these representations are interrelated is proposed, and its relation to other intersensory interactions is discussed.

FEF TMS Affects Visual Cortical Activity

2006 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 391-399 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C.J. Taylor ◽  
A. C. Nobre ◽  
M. F.S. Rushworth
Keyword(s):  
Cortical Activity ◽  
Visual Cortical

Interactions between Voluntary and Stimulus-driven Spatial Attention Mechanisms across Sensory Modalities

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (12) ◽  
pp. 2384-2397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerio Santangelo ◽  
Marta Olivetti Belardinelli ◽  
Charles Spence ◽  
Emiliano Macaluso
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Auditory Stimulus ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Visual Target ◽  
Exogenous Attention ◽  
Physiological Basis ◽  
Sensory Modalities ◽  
Visual Targets ◽  
Task Irrelevant

In everyday life, the allocation of spatial attention typically entails the interplay between voluntary (endogenous) and stimulus-driven (exogenous) attention. Furthermore, stimuli in different sensory modalities can jointly influence the direction of spatial attention, due to the existence of cross-sensory links in attentional control. Using fMRI, we examined the physiological basis of these interactions. We induced exogenous shifts of auditory spatial attention while participants engaged in an endogenous visuospatial cueing task. Participants discriminated visual targets in the left or right hemifield. A central visual cue preceded the visual targets, predicting the target location on 75% of the trials (endogenous visual attention). In the interval between the endogenous cue and the visual target, task-irrelevant nonpredictive auditory stimuli were briefly presented either in the left or right hemifield (exogenous auditory attention). Consistent with previous unisensory visual studies, activation of the ventral fronto-parietal attentional network was observed when the visual targets were presented at the uncued side (endogenous invalid trials, requiring visuospatial reorienting), as compared with validly cued targets. Critically, we found that the side of the task-irrelevant auditory stimulus modulated these activations, reducing spatial reorienting effects when the auditory stimulus was presented on the same side as the upcoming (invalid) visual target. These results demonstrate that multisensory mechanisms of attentional control can integrate endogenous and exogenous spatial information, jointly determining attentional orienting toward the most relevant spatial location.

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