Effects of Awareness on the Control of Attention

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 842-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Taylor W. Webb ◽  
Hope H. Kean ◽  
Michael S. A. Graziano

Previous studies show that it is possible to attend to a stimulus without awareness of it. Whether attention and awareness are independent or have a specific relationship, however, remains debated. Here, we tested three aspects of visual attention with and without awareness of the visual stimulus. Metacontrast masking rendered participants either subjectively aware or not aware of the stimulus. Attention drawn to the stimulus was measured by using the stimulus as a cue in a spatial attention task. We found that attention was drawn to the stimulus regardless of whether or not people were aware of it. However, attention changed significantly in the absence of awareness in at least three ways. First, attention to a task-relevant stimulus was less stable over time. Second, inhibition of return, the automatic suppression of attention to a task-irrelevant stimulus, was reduced. Third, attention was more driven by the luminance contrast of the stimulus. These findings add to the growing information on the behavior of attention with and without awareness. The findings are also consistent with our recently proposed account of the relationship between attention and awareness. In the attention schema theory, awareness is the internal model of attention. Just as the brain contains a body schema that models the body and helps control the body, so it contains an attention schema that helps control attention. In that theory, in the absence of awareness, the control of attention should suffer in basic ways predictable from dynamical systems theory. The present results confirm some of those predictions.

Author(s):  
M.P. Sutunkova ◽  
B.A. Katsnelson ◽  
L.I. Privalova ◽  
S.N. Solovjeva ◽  
V.B. Gurvich ◽  
...  

We conducted a comparative assessment of the nickel oxide nanoparticles toxicity (NiO) of two sizes (11 and 25 nm) according to a number of indicators of the body state after repeated intraperitoneal injections of these particles suspensions. At equal mass doses, NiO nanoparticles have been found to cause various manifestations of systemic subchronic toxicity with a particularly pronounced effect on liver, kidney function, the body’s antioxidant system, lipid metabolism, white and red blood, redox metabolism, spleen damage, and some disorders of nervous activity allegedly related to the possibility of nickel penetration into the brain from the blood. The relationship between the diameter and toxicity of particles is ambiguous, which may be due to differences in toxicokinetics, which is controlled by both physiological mechanisms and direct penetration of nanoparticles through biological barriers and, finally, unequal solubility.


2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-26
Author(s):  
Hans Goller

Neuroscientists keep telling us that the brain produces consciousness and consciousness does not survive brain death because it ceases when brain activity ceases. Research findings on near-death-experiences during cardiac arrest contradict this widely held conviction. They raise perplexing questions with regard to our current understanding of the relationship between consciousness and brain functions. Reports on veridical perceptions during out-of-body experiences suggest that consciousness may be experienced independently of a functioning brain and that self-consciousness may continue even after the termination of brain activity. Data on studies of near-death-experiences could be an incentive to develop alternative theories of the body-mind relation as seen in contemporary neuroscience.


Author(s):  
Luis Raul Meza Mendoza ◽  
María Elena Moya Martinez ◽  
Angelica Maria Sabando Suarez

Since the beginning of humanity, an attempt has been made to explain the way in which man acquires knowledge, the way in which he assimilates, processes and executes it in order to develop the teaching-learning process that people need throughout of his life, which forces to change the learning schemes using new study methodologies, such as neuroscience, which is a discipline that studies the functioning of the brain, the relationship of neurons to the formation of synapses creating immediate responses which transmits to the body voluntarily and involuntarily, in addition to controlling the central and peripheral nervous system with their respective functions. It is necessary to change the traditional scheme and implement new strategies that allow the teacher to venture into neuroscience, in order to individually understand the different learning processes that students do. As some authors of neuroscience say, the brain performs processes of acquisition, storage and evocation of information, which form new knowledge schemes that generate changes in the attitude of the human being, for this reason teachers are responsible for taking advantage of what It is known about the multiple functions of the brain and be clear about the various ways of acquiring knowledge.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-129
Author(s):  
Hamam Burhanuddin

The study in this paper are explain about the studies of medical (medicine) blood type have the same relationship to human character because the blood producing antibodies and antigens. It could determine a person helpless hold strong or weak body, has an allergy to something or not, in the blood also contains various nutrients (like protein) and also the oxygen being supplied to the brain and nerves and body affect performance someone will then be emanated from the attitude of the person and social interaction. As has been explained, but keep in mind, there is blood in the genes, the nature of which is carried in the body/genotif rightly so it is, but we can not ignore the fenotif/nature arising or visible, this trait appear due to interaction between genes and the environment, so even if the person is smart in the intelligentsia and emotional, but grew up in a bad environment is going to be a bad trait. The theory of personality based on blood type can be used as a reference in parenting children through an understanding of the fundamental principles of the application of personality accompanied by parenting. Furthermore, the taking of steps in the care tailored to the stage of development of the child, in the Qur'an explicitly did not mentioned paragraph that discusses about blood type, but in the Qur'an there are blood (ad-Dam), Islamic studies in the study of Children is seen as a mandate from God, forming 3-dimensional relationships, with parents as the central figure. First, her parents relationship with God that is backed by the presence of children. Second, the relationship of the child (which still need a lot of guidance) with God through his parents. Third, the relationship of the child with both parents under the tutelage and guidance of God.


2021 ◽  
pp. 73-140
Author(s):  
Michael A. Arbib

Architects design spaces that offer perceptual cues, affordances, for our various effectivities. Lina Bo Bardi’s São Paulo Museum demonstrates how praxic and contemplative actions are interleaved—space is effective and affective. Navigation often extends beyond wayfinding to support ongoing behavior. Scripts set out the general rules for a particular kind of behavior, and may suggest places that a building must provide. Cognitive maps support wayfinding. Other maps in the brain represent sensory or motor patterns of activity. Juhani Pallasmaa’s reflections on The Thinking Hand lead into a view of how the brain mediates that thinking, modeling hand–eye coordination at two levels. The first coordinates perceptual and motor schemas. The body schema is an adaptable collage of perceptual and motor skills. The second coordinates the ventral “what” pathway that can support planning of actions, and the dorsal “how” pathway that links affordance-related details to motor control. A complementary challenge is understanding how schemas in the head relate to social schemas. Finally, the chapter compares the cognitive challenges in designing a building and in developing a computational brain model of cognitive processes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 133-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriaki Kanayama ◽  
Kentaro Hiromitsu

Is the body reducible to neural representation in the brain? There is some evidence that the brain contributes to the functioning of the body from neuroimaging, neurophysiological, and lesion studies. Well-known dyadic taxonomy of the body schema and the body image (hereafter BSBI) is based primarily on the evidence in brain-damaged patients. Although there is a growing consensus that the BSBI exists, there is little agreement on the dyadic taxonomy because it is not a concrete and common concept across various research fields. This chapter tries to investigate the body representation in the cortex and nervous system in terms of sensory modality and psychological function using two different approaches. The first approach is to review the neurological evidence and cortical area which is related to body representation, regardless of the BSBI, and then to reconsider how we postulate the BSBI in our brain. It can be considered that our body representation could be constructed by the whole of the neural system, including the cortex and peripheral nerves. The second approach is to revisit the BSBI conception from the viewpoint of recent neuropsychology and propose three types of body representation: body schema, body structural description, and body semantics. This triadic taxonomy is considered consistent with the cortical networks based on the evidence of bodily disorders due to brain lesions. These two approaches allow to reconsider the BSBI more carefully and deeply and to give us the possibility that the body representation could be underpinned with the network in the brain.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilona Ruotsalainen ◽  
Tetiana Gorbach ◽  
Jaana Perkola ◽  
Ville Renvall ◽  
Heidi J. Syväoja ◽  
...  

AbstractPhysical activity and exercise beneficially link to brain properties and cognitive functions in older adults, but it is unclear how these results generalise to other age groups. During adolescence, the brain undergoes significant changes, which are especially pronounced in white matter. Existing studies provide contradictory evidence regarding the influence of physical activity or aerobic-exercise on executive functions in youth. Little is also known about the link between both aerobic fitness and physical activity with white matter during puberty. For this reason, we investigated the connection between both aerobic fitness (20-m shuttle run) and physical activity (moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity) with white matter in 59 adolescents (12.7–16.2 years). We further determined whether white matter interacts with the connection of fitness or physical activity with three core executive functions (sustained attention, spatial working memory and response inhibition). Our results showed that only the level of aerobic fitness, but not of physical activity was related to white matter properties. Furthermore, the white matter of specific tracts also moderated the links of aerobic fitness and physical activity with working memory. Our results suggest that aerobic fitness and physical activity have an unequal contribution to the properties of white matter in adolescent brains. We propose that the differences in white matter properties could underlie the variations in the relationship between either physical activity or aerobic fitness with working memory.HighlightsAerobic fitness level, but not physical activity, is associated with white matter properties in several white matter tracts in the brain.The relationship between aerobic fitness and working memory was moderated by fractional anisotropy of the body of corpus callosum and in the right superior corona radiata.The relationship between physical activity and working memory was moderated by fractional anisotropy of the body and genu of corpus callosum.


2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 611
Author(s):  
Rudolf Von Sinner

RESUMO: A relação entre corpo e alma ou entre corpo, alma e espírito é um pro­blema antigo da antropologia, inclusive na teologia cristã. A questão continua em pauta hoje diante de novas descobertas e teorias nas neurociências. Praticamente migrou para a discussão da relação entre cérebro e mente. Hoje é consenso bastante amplo que quem comanda o corpo é o cérebro. Se aceitarmos isto, quem está no comando do cérebro? Sou eu, em primeira pessoa, minha alma, minha mente? Ou seria “ele”, em terceira pessoa, nosso próprio cérebro me determinando? E como ficaria na segunda pessoa – o ser humano como estando em relação a Deus a quem o chama de “tu”? Querendo superar preconceitos contra uma neurociên­cia determinista e uma teologia despreocupada com a ciência – e estas próprias posições, onde são defendidas –, o presente artigo procura tratar da condição humana em sua liberdade sempre precária e tolhida. Recorrendo à abordagem neurobiológica e psiquiátrica de Joachim Bauer, argumenta pela importância das relações do ser humano com o outro, com Deus e com o mundo, numa forma de ressonância (Hartmut Rosa). ABSTRACT: The relationship between body and soul or between body, soul and spirit is an ancient problem of anthropology, and also of Christian theology. In view of present day discoveries and new neuroscientific theories, the issue poses itself afresh. It practically migrated to the discussion of the relationship between brain and mind. Today, there is ample consensus that it is the brain that is in charge of the body. If we accept that, then who is in charge of the brain? Is it me, in the first person, my soul, my mind? Or is it “him”, in the third person, our own brain that determines me? And how about the second person – the human being in its relationship with God whom it calls “you”? Striving to overcome prejudices against a deterministic neuroscience, on the one hand, and a theology indifferent to science – and, indeed, such positions, wherever they are held – the present article seeks to deal with the human condition in its freedom, always precarious and restrained. Referring to neurobiological and psychiatric insights from Joachim Bauer, it argues for the importance of the relationship of the human being with the other, with God and with the world, in a form of resonance (Hartmut Rosa).


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 125
Author(s):  
Nurul Istiqomah ◽  
Rio Pebrian ◽  
Susi Mutoharoh

The purpose of this study is to examine aspects of prayer spirituality in the perspective of neuroscience and its implications for achievement. To see the relationship between the attitude of spirituality that is usually associated with prayer and endeavor, including business with the results obtained when done doing so. There is no connection between the brain and the activities of the owner of the brain because it is in the head and human activities are usually carried out in the outside area, but if you have studied the brain, especially neuroscience learning, then the body parts and what the owner does are interconnected. The results of the analysis mostly suggest that spirituality and learning achievement have relationships. The results of the study show that spirituality can be a predictor in one's learning achievement.


1981 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vezio Ruggieri ◽  
Carla Valeri

To study some aspects of the relationship between body schema and lateralization, 44 female subjects between 19 and 39 yr. of age were measured using a test of accuracy of perception for the right and left halves of the body. Analysis gave three different groups: subjects with larger indexes of deviation on the left (56%), those with larger indexes of deviation on the right (31%), and others with no difference between right and left halves (11%).


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