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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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2
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Dellert T, Krebs S, Bruchmann M, Schindler S, Peters A, Straube T. Neural correlates of consciousness in an attentional blink paradigm with uncertain target relevance. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119679. [PMID: 36220535 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Several event-related potentials (ERPs) have been proposed as neural correlates of consciousness (NCC), most prominently the early visual awareness negativity (VAN) and the late P3b component. Highly influential support for the P3b comes from studies utilizing the attentional blink (AB), where conscious perception of a first visual target (T1) impairs reporting a second target (T2) presented shortly afterwards. Recent no-report studies using other paradigms suggest that the P3b component may reflect post-perceptual processes associated with decision-making rather than awareness. However, no-report studies are limited in their awareness assessment, and their conclusions have not been tested in an AB paradigm. The present study (N = 38) addressed these issues using a novel AB paradigm, which reduced decision-making processes by omitting a discrimination task on T2 stimuli and rendering their relevance uncertain. Nevertheless, awareness was assessed trial by trial. Comparing ERPs in response to seen versus unseen T2 stimuli revealed a VAN but no enhanced P3b regardless of whether they were marked as distinct from distractor stimuli or not. Our results corroborate the VAN and challenge the P3b as NCC despite rigorous trial-by-trial assessment of conscious perception. Thus, they support the idea that awareness emerges during early sensory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Torge Dellert
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany.
| | - Sophie Krebs
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Maximilian Bruchmann
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Sebastian Schindler
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Antje Peters
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
| | - Thomas Straube
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Münster, Von-Esmarch-Str. 52, 48149, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149, Münster, Germany
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3
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Black SC, Bender AD, Whitney SJ, Loft S, Visser TAW. The effect of multi‐tasking training on performance, situation awareness, and workload in simulated air traffic control. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela D. Bender
- University of Western Australia Perth Australia
- Department of Defence Defence Science and Technology Group Edinburgh Australia
| | - Susannah J. Whitney
- Department of Defence Defence Science and Technology Group Edinburgh Australia
| | - Shayne Loft
- University of Western Australia Perth Australia
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4
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Harding A, Kanagasingam S, Welbury R, Singhrao SK. Periodontitis as a Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease: The Experimental Journey So Far, with Hope of Therapy. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1373:241-260. [PMID: 35612802 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-96881-6_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Periodontitis and Alzheimer's disease (AD) exist globally within the adult population. Given that the risk of AD incidence doubles within 10 years from the time of periodontal disease diagnosis, there is a window of opportunity for slowing down or preventing AD by risk-reduction-based intervention. Literature appraisal on the shared risk factors of these diseases suggests a shift to a healthy lifestyle would be beneficial. Generalised (chronic) periodontitis with an established dysbiotic polymicrobial aetiology affects the tooth supporting tissues with eventual tooth loss. The cause of AD remains unknown, however two neurohistopathological lesions - amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, together with the clinical history, provide AD diagnosis at autopsy. Historically, prominence was given to the two hallmark lesions but now emphasis is placed on cerebral inflammation and what triggers it. Low socioeconomic status promotes poor lifestyles that compromise oral and personal hygiene along with reliance on poor dietary intake. Taken together with advancing age and a declining immune protection, these risk factors may negatively impact on periodontitis and AD. These factors also provide a tangible solution to controlling pathogenic bacteria indigenous to the oral and gastrointestinal tract microbioes in vulnerable subjects. The focus here is on Porphyromonas gingivalis, one of several important bacterial pathogens associated with both periodontitis and AD. Recent research has enabled advances in our knowledge of the armoury of P. gingivalis via reproduction of all clinical and neuropathological hallmark lesions of AD and chronic periodontal disease in vitro and in vivo experimental models, thus paving the way for better future management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Harding
- Brain and Behavior Centre, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
| | - Shalini Kanagasingam
- Brain and Behavior Centre, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
| | - Richard Welbury
- Brain and Behavior Centre, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK
| | - Sim K Singhrao
- Brain and Behavior Centre, Faculty of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, UK.
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5
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Examining the relationship between working memory consolidation and long-term consolidation. Psychon Bull Rev 2022; 29:1625-1648. [PMID: 35357669 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-022-02084-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
An emerging area of research is focused on the relationship between working memory and long-term memory and the likely overlap between these processes. Of particular interest is how some information first maintained in working memory is retained for longer periods and eventually preserved in long-term memory. The process of stabilizing transient memory representations for lasting retention is referred to as consolidation in both the working memory and long-term memory literature, although these have historically been viewed as independent constructs. The present review aims to investigate the relationship between working memory consolidation and long-term memory consolidation, which both have rich, but distinct, histories. This review provides an overview of the proposed models and neural mechanisms of both types of consolidation, as well as clinical findings related to consolidation and potential approaches for the manipulation of consolidation. Finally, two hypotheses are proposed to explain the relationship between working memory consolidation and long-term memory consolidation.
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6
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Yao F, Zhou B, Zhuang Y, Wang X. Immediate Temporal Information Modulates the Target Identification in the Attentional Blink. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020278. [PMID: 35204041 PMCID: PMC8870607 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that learned temporal information can be exploited to help facilitate the target identification in the attentional blink task. Here, we tested whether similar exploitation also worked on short-term temporal information, even when it did not reliably predict the target onset. In two experiments, we randomly manipulated either the interval between targets (T1 and T2; Experiment 1) or the temporal regularity of stimulus presentation (Experiment 2) in each trial. The results revealed evidence of effects of immediate temporal experience mainly on T2 performances but also occasionally on T1 performances. In general, the accuracy of T2 was enhanced when a longer inter-target interval was explicitly processed in the preceding trial (Experiment 1) or the temporal regularity, regardless of being explicitly or implicitly processed, was present in the stimulus stream, especially after T1 (Experiment 2). These results suggest that, under high temporal uncertainty, both interval and rhythmic cues can still be exploited to regulate the allocation of processing resources, thus, modulating the target identification in the attentional blink task, consistent with the view of flexible attentional allocation, and further highlighting the importance of the interplay between temporal processing and attentional control in the conscious visual perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangshu Yao
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China; (F.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Bin Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (X.W.)
| | - Yiyun Zhuang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China; (F.Y.); (Y.Z.)
| | - Xiaochun Wang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai 200438, China; (F.Y.); (Y.Z.)
- Correspondence: (B.Z.); (X.W.)
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7
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Hoekstra C, Martens S, Taatgen NA. Testing the skill-based approach: Consolidation strategy impacts attentional blink performance. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262350. [PMID: 35061799 PMCID: PMC8782399 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can learn simple new tasks very quickly. This ability suggests that people can reuse previously learned procedural knowledge when it applies to a new context. We have proposed a modeling approach based on this idea and used it to create a model of the attentional blink (AB). The main idea of the skill-based approach is that models are not created from scratch but, instead, built up from reusable pieces of procedural knowledge (skills). This approach not only provides an explanation for the fast learning of simple tasks but also shows much promise to improve certain aspects of cognitive modeling (e.g., robustness and generalizability). We performed two experiments, in order to collect empirical support for the model’s prediction that the AB will disappear when the two targets are consolidated as a single chunk. Firstly, we performed an unsuccessful replication of a study reporting that the AB disappears when participants are instructed to remember the targets as a syllable. However, a subsequent experiment using easily combinable stimuli supported the model’s prediction and showed a strongly reduced AB in a large group of participants. This result suggests that it is possible to avoid the AB with the right consolidation strategy. The skill-based approach allowed relating this finding to a general cognitive process, thereby demonstrating that incorporating this approach can be very helpful to generalize the findings of cognitive models, which otherwise tends to be rather difficult.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corné Hoekstra
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Sander Martens
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Niels A. Taatgen
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Wang J, Luo Y, Aleman A, Martens S. Training the attentional blink: subclinical depression decreases learning potential. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:1980-1995. [PMID: 34674013 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01603-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) reflects a temporal restriction of selective attention and is generally regarded as a very robust phenomenon. However, previous studies have found large individual differences in AB performance, and under some training conditions the AB can be reduced significantly. One factor that may account for individual differences in AB magnitude is the ability to accurately time attention. In the current study, we focus on the sensitivity for temporal information on the ability to control attention. Following a visual AB task, a time estimation task was presented in either the visual or auditory modality, followed by another visual AB task. It was found that the time estimation training in both the auditory and visual modality reduced AB magnitude. Although a reduction in AB magnitude was also observed when individuals were trained on a control task (either an auditory frequency or visual line length estimation task), the effect was significantly larger following the time estimation tasks. In addition, it was found that individuals who showed most improvement on the visual time estimation task, also showed the largest reduction in AB magnitude, which was not the case for individuals who were trained on the control tasks. Finally, a negative correlation was observed between depression scores (tested by Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form (BDI-SF) scores and the improvement in the AB and time estimation tasks. Our findings demonstrate clear links between timing ability and mechanisms to control attention and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- 1Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yuejia Luo
- 1Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518060, China. .,The Research Center of Brain Science and Visual Cognition, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650504, China. .,College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China.
| | - Andre Aleman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Sander Martens
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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9
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Attention to a Moment in Time Impairs Episodic Distinctiveness during Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. Symmetry (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/sym13101938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Human attention is limited in the ability to select and segregate relevant distinct events from the continuous flow of external information while concurrently encoding their temporal succession. While it is well-known that orienting attention to one external target stimulus impairs the encoding of ensuing relevant external events, it is still unknown whether orienting attention to internally generated events can interfere with concurrent processing of external input. We addressed this issue by asking participants to identify a single target embedded among distractors in a non-spatial rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) stream and to indicate whether that target appeared before or after an internally estimated midpoint of the stream. The results indicate that (a) such an internally generated temporal benchmark does not interfere with the identification of a subsequent physical target stimulus but (b) the two events cannot be accurately segregated when the physical target immediately follows the internally generated temporal event. These findings indicate that the asymmetrical distribution around the midpoint of order reversals reflects an impaired temporal discrimination ability. Orienting attention to a moment in time reduces episodic distinctiveness as much as orienting attention to external events.
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10
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Yuan P, Hu R, Zhang X, Wang Y, Jiang Y. Cortical entrainment to hierarchical contextual rhythms recomposes dynamic attending in visual perception. eLife 2021; 10:65118. [PMID: 34086558 PMCID: PMC8177885 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal regularity is ubiquitous and essential to guiding attention and coordinating behavior within a dynamic environment. Previous researchers have modeled attention as an internal rhythm that may entrain to first-order regularity from rhythmic events to prioritize information selection at specific time points. Using the attentional blink paradigm, here we show that higher-order regularity based on rhythmic organization of contextual features (pitch, color, or motion) may serve as a temporal frame to recompose the dynamic profile of visual temporal attention. Critically, such attentional reframing effect is well predicted by cortical entrainment to the higher-order contextual structure at the delta band as well as its coupling with the stimulus-driven alpha power. These results suggest that the human brain involuntarily exploits multiscale regularities in rhythmic contexts to recompose dynamic attending in visual perception, and highlight neural entrainment as a central mechanism for optimizing our conscious experience of the world in the time dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peijun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Ruichen Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China.,Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei, China
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11
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Junker MS, Park BY, Shin JC, Cho YS. Adaptive Changes in the Dynamics of Visual Attention With Extended Practice. Front Psychol 2020; 11:565288. [PMID: 33117232 PMCID: PMC7574854 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.565288] [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: 05/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research indicates that visual attention can adapt to temporal stimulus patterns utilizing the rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task. However, how the temporal dynamics of an attentional pulse adapt to temporal patterns has not been explored. We addressed this question by conducting an attentional component analysis on RSVP performance and explored whether changes in attentional dynamics were accompanied by explicit learning about predictable target timing. We utilized an RSVP task in which a target letter appeared either in two possible RSVP positions in fixed-timing conditions or in random positions over 1, 2, or 3 days of training. In a transfer phase, the target appeared in previously presented or new positions. Over 3 days of practice the target identification rate, efficacy, and precision of a putative attentional pulse increased. These changes reflected general learning in the RSVP task resulting in attentional dynamics more efficiently focused on the target. Although group performance effects did not support learning of fixed target positions, target identification rates and the measure of the efficacy of an attentional pulse at these positions were positively associated with explicit learning. The current study is the first to provide a detailed description of practice related adaptation of attentional dynamics and suggests that timing specific changes might be mediated by explicit temporal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Junker
- School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL, United States
| | - Bo Youn Park
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jacqueline C Shin
- Department of Psychology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, United States
| | - Yang Seok Cho
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
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12
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Hoekstra C, Martens S, Taatgen NA. A Skill-Based Approach to Modeling the Attentional Blink. Top Cogn Sci 2020; 12:1030-1045. [PMID: 32677770 PMCID: PMC7496539 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
People can often learn new tasks quickly. This is hard to explain with cognitive models because they either need extensive task‐specific knowledge or a long training session. In this article, we try to solve this by proposing that task knowledge can be decomposed into skills. A skill is a task‐independent set of knowledge that can be reused for different tasks. As a demonstration, we created an attentional blink model from the general skills that we extracted from models of visual attention and working memory. The results suggest that this is a feasible modeling method, which could lead to more generalizable models. People can learn to perform new tasks very quickly by making use of lower‐level skills they have developed when learning previous tasks. Hoekstra, Martens, and Taatgen model this process, showing how a system trained on simple tasks (visual search and two working memory tasks) can then quickly learn to perform the attentional blink task, and it ends up making the same sorts of errors as people do.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corné Hoekstra
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen
| | - Sander Martens
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen/Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen
| | - Niels A Taatgen
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen
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13
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Ross B, Lopez MD. 40-Hz Binaural beats enhance training to mitigate the attentional blink. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7002. [PMID: 32332827 PMCID: PMC7181825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63980-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated whether binaural beat stimulation could accelerate the training outcome in an attentional blink (AB) task. The AB refers to the lapse in detecting a target T2 in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) after the identification of a preceding target T1. Binaural beats (BB) are assumed to entrain neural oscillations and support cognitive function. Participants were assigned into two groups and presented with BB sounds while performing the AB task on three subsequent days in a cross-over design. Group A was presented with 40-Hz BB during the first day and 16 Hz during the second day, while the order of beat frequencies was reversed in Group B. No sound was presented on the third day. MEG recordings confirmed a strong entrainment of gamma oscillations during 40-Hz BB stimulation and smaller gamma entrainment with 16-Hz BB. The rhythm of the visual stimulation elicited 10-Hz oscillations in occipital MEG sensors which were of similar magnitude for both BB frequencies. The AB performance did not increase within a session. However, participants improved between sessions, with overall improvement equal in both groups. Group A improved more after the first day than the second day. In contrast, group B gained more from the 40 Hz stimulation on the second day than from 16-Hz stimulation on the first day. Taken together, 40-Hz BB stimulation during training accelerates the training outcome. The improvement becomes evident not immediately, but after consolidation during sleep. Therefore, auditory beats stimulation is a promising method of non-invasive brain stimulation for enhancing training and learning which is well-suited to rehabilitation training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Ross
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada. .,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Marc Danzell Lopez
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada.,Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Toronto, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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14
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Shenfield L, Beanland V, Apthorp D. Temporal predictability does not impact attentional blink performance: effects of fixed vs. random inter-trial intervals. PeerJ 2020; 8:e8677. [PMID: 32185105 PMCID: PMC7060903 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Does the inclusion of a randomized inter-trial interval (ITI) impact performance on an Attentional Blink (AB) task? The AB phenomenon is often used as a test of transient attention (Dux & Marois, 2009); however, it is unclear whether incorporating aspects of sustained attention, by implementing a randomized ITI, would impact task performance. The current research sought to investigate this, by contrasting a standard version of the AB task with a random ITI version to determine whether performance changed, reflecting a change in difficulty, engagement, or motivation. Method Thirty university students (21 female; age range 18–57, Mage= 21.5, SD = 7.4) completed both versions of the task, in counterbalanced order. Results No significant difference in performance was found between the standard AB task and the AB task with the random ITI. Bayesian analyses suggested moderate evidence for the null. Conclusion Temporal unpredictability did not appear to impact task performance. This suggests that the standard AB task has cognitive properties with regards to task difficulty, engagement, and motivation, that are inherently similar to tasks that employ a randomized ITI to measure sustained attention (e.g., the Psychomotor Vigilance Task; PVT; Dinges & Powell, 1985). This finding provides important support for future research which may seek to obtain a more detailed understanding of attention through the comparison of performance on transient and sustained attention tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucienne Shenfield
- Research School of Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Vanessa Beanland
- Department of Psychology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Deborah Apthorp
- School of Psychology, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia.,Research School of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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15
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Galojan J, Kranczioch C. No Evidence for an Awareness-Dependent Emotional Modulation of the Attentional Blink. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2422. [PMID: 31749738 PMCID: PMC6842977 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Pictures of faces with emotional expressions presented before a temporal attention task have been reported to affect temporal attention in an awareness-dependent manner: Awareness of a fearful face was linked to an increased deficit in the temporal attention task, while preventing the face from reaching awareness was linked to a decreased deficit, both relative to neutral faces. Here we report the results of two temporal attention experiments which aimed to extend and conceptually replicate this basic finding. The temporal attention task was preceded by an unmasked or a masked fearful face on a trial-by-trial basis. In both experiments the finding of an awareness-dependent emotional modulation of temporal attention through fearful faces could not be replicated, even when data were pooled across experiments. Pooling of experiments indicated however that, independent of awareness level, fearful faces can be associated with slightly worse temporal attention performance than neutral faces, and suggested a lag-specific practice effect in terms of a reduced deficit in temporal attention in the second half of the experiment.
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Access to consciousness of briefly presented visual events is modulated by transcranial direct current stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Sci Rep 2019; 9:10950. [PMID: 31358875 PMCID: PMC6662720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-47527-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive behaviour requires the ability to process goal-relevant events at the expense of irrelevant ones. However, perception of a relevant visual event can transiently preclude access to consciousness of subsequent events — a phenomenon called attentional blink (AB). Here we investigated involvement of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in conscious access, by using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to potentiate or reduce neural excitability in the context of an AB task. In a sham-controlled experimental design, we applied between groups anodal or cathodal tDCS over the left DLPFC, and examined whether this stimulation modulated the proportion of stimuli that were consciously reported during the AB period. We found that tDCS over the left DLPFC affected the proportion of consciously perceived target stimuli. Moreover, anodal and cathodal tDCS had opposing effects, and exhibited different temporal patterns. Anodal stimulation attenuated the AB, enhancing conscious report earlier in the AB period. Cathodal stimulation accentuated the AB, reducing conscious report later in the AB period. These findings support the notion that the DLPFC plays a role in facilitating information transition from the unconscious to the conscious stage of processing.
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Roberts A, Palermo R, Visser TAW. Effects of dominance and prestige based social status on competition for attentional resources. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2473. [PMID: 30792492 PMCID: PMC6385251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-39223-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Social status can be attained through either dominance (coercion and intimidation) or prestige (skill and respect). Individuals high in either of these status pathways are known to more readily attract gaze and covert spatial attention compared to their low-status counterparts. However it is not known if social status biases allocation of attentional resources to competing stimuli. To address this issue, we used an attentional blink paradigm to explore non-spatial attentional biases in response to face stimuli varying in dominance and prestige. Results from a series of studies consistently indicated that participants were biased towards allocating attention to low- relative to high- dominance faces. We also observed no effects of manipulating prestige on attentional bias. We attribute our results to the workings of comparatively early processing stages, separate from those mediating spatial attention shifts, which are tuned to physical features associated with low dominance. These findings challenge our current understanding of the impact of social status on attentional competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashton Roberts
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Romina Palermo
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia.,ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders (CCD), Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Troy A W Visser
- School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
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Crespi C, Laureiro-Martínez D, Dodich A, Cappa SF, Brusoni S, Zollo M, Falini A, Canessa N. Improving innovative decision-making: Training-induced changes in fronto-parietal networks. Brain Cogn 2018; 128:46-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2018.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Abstract
If two to-be-identified targets are presented in close temporal succession, identification for the second target is typically impaired. This attentional blink (AB) phenomenon has long been considered as a robust, universal cognitive limitation. However, more recent studies have demonstrated that AB task performance greatly differs between individuals, with some individuals even showing no AB in certain paradigms. Several studies have focused on these individual differences in an attempt to reveal the mechanism underlying the AB, but an overview of this approach is currently missing. Here, by reviewing studies regarding individual differences in AB task performance, we investigate how individual differences have contributed to our understanding of the AB. We show that the individual differences AB literature provides reliable indications that the AB is a multifaceted phenomenon that presumably arises from a combination of factors; individuals with higher levels of executive working memory (WM) functioning and broad attentional focus perform better in the AB paradigm than individuals with lower executive functioning of WM and narrow attentional focus. As it turns out, seeing the bigger picture certainly seems helpful for AB task performance.
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Snir G, Yeshurun Y. Perceptual episodes, temporal attention, and the role of cognitive control: Lessons from the attentional blink. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2017; 236:53-73. [PMID: 29157418 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2017.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ability to identify a target is usually hindered if it appears shortly after another target. This simple and somewhat intuitive observation is qualified by a multitude of unexpected findings and conflicting theories that originate from the attentional blink paradigm. In this review, the major results, implications, and outstanding questions that stem from the paradigm are presented and discussed. The extant literature suggests that when the temporal domain is densely stacked with numerous stimuli, the entities that underlie attentional selection and cognitive control are brief perceptual episodes. Specifically, attention is deployed over an interval that frequently encompasses several stimuli. Most theories agree that the length and boundaries of this interval are influenced by cognitive control mechanisms. However, there is little agreement as to the extent and nature of this influence. Some theories suggest that control is needed in order to initiate a temporally limited attentional response. Other theories argue that cognitive control is actively suppressing attentional mechanisms in order to terminate the perceptual episode. Another formulation suggests that both ends of the interval are partially controlled and that the exertion of control corresponds to the focusing of attention on a narrow interval. The contents of perceptual episodes, as well as their deficiencies, can shed light on the features that guide attentional deployment, the goals that guide cognitive control, and the interactions between these mechanisms. Electrophysiological recordings are extremely useful when one tries to pinpoint the timing of attentional selection. Other neural indicators can elucidate the factors that define perceptual episodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Snir
- Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Yaffa Yeshurun
- Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, Psychology Department, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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Training and the attentional blink: Raising the ceiling does not remove the limits. Atten Percept Psychophys 2017; 79:2257-2274. [PMID: 28741100 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-017-1391-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) is a widely studied deficit in reporting the second of two sequentially presented targets when they occur within 500 milliseconds. The AB often is interpreted to index a structural limit in sequential visual processing. However, this interpretation is challenged by reports that the deficit can be reduced with several hundred trials of specific training (Braun in Nature, 393(6684), 424-425, 1998; Choi et al. in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(30), 12242-12247, 2012; Taatgen et al. in Cognitive Psychology, 59(1), 1-29, 2009) and other reports that some individuals experience very little or no deficit, even without specific training (Martens et al. in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18(9), 1423-1438, 2006). Yet neither of these claims has been studied when the artifact of ceiling effects has been removed. We sent a small number of participants (n = 5) home to practice an AB task on their mobile phones for 3,000-6,000 trials (Experiment 1) and trained a much larger number of participants (n = 48) in a similar way for 1,200-1,800 trials (Experiment 2). Both experiments used adaptive procedures to equate task difficulty throughout training to keep second-target accuracy below ceiling levels. The results showed strong training effects on the rate of processing sequential information. Despite this, there were (a) robust AB effects after training for most participants, (b) no benefit for training on difficult versus easy target tasks, and (c) substantial correlations between the magnitude of the AB before and after extensive training. These findings support the interpretation that the AB is an index of a structural limit in the ability to consciously process rapid visual sequences.
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Differential Contributions of GABA Concentration in Frontal and Parietal Regions to Individual Differences in Attentional Blink. J Neurosci 2017; 36:8895-901. [PMID: 27559171 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0764-16.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Selective attention plays an important role in identifying transient objects in a complex visual scene. Attentional control ability varies with observers. However, it is unclear what neural mechanisms are responsible for individual differences in attentional control ability. The present study used the following attentional blink paradigm: when two targets are to be identified in rapid serial visual presentation, the processing of the first target interrupts the identification of the second one appearing within 500 ms after the first-target onset. It has been assumed that the reduction of the second-target accuracy is mainly due to a transient inhibition of attentional reorienting from the first to the second target, which is modulated by the GABA system. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we investigated whether individual variation of attentional blink magnitude is associated with GABA concentrations in the left prefrontal cortex (PFC), right posterior-parietal cortex (PPC), and visual cortex (VC) of humans. GABA concentrations in the PFC were related negatively to attentional blink magnitude and positively to the first-target accuracy. GABA concentrations in the PPC were positively correlated with attentional blink magnitude. However, GABA concentrations in the VC did not contribute to attentional blink magnitude and first-target accuracy. Our results suggest that frontoparietal inhibitory mechanisms are closely linked with individual differences in attentional processing and that functional roles of the GABAergic system in selective attention differ between the PFC and PPC. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Selective attention is the process of picking up task-relevant information in the environment. Attentional blink reflects time constraints of visual attention. It has been assumed that attentional blink is induced by the inhibition of attentional reorienting to other objects. This study used magnetic resonance spectroscopy to noninvasively measure concentrations of GABA, the principal inhibitory neurotransmitter, in the human brain. We show that a neural interaction between GABA concentrations in the prefrontal and posterior parietal regions accounts for the interindividual variability of attentional blink magnitude. Our results provide direct evidence that the GABAergic system in the frontoparietal networks is responsible for temporal aspects of attentional control ability.
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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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Kranczioch C, Lindig A, Hausmann M. Sex hormones modulate neurophysiological correlates of visual temporal attention. Neuropsychologia 2016; 91:86-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2016] [Revised: 08/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Willems C, Saija JD, Akyürek EG, Martens S. An Individual Differences Approach to Temporal Integration and Order Reversals in the Attentional Blink Task. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156538. [PMID: 27228118 PMCID: PMC4882054 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2015] [Accepted: 05/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The reduced ability to identify a second target when it is presented in close temporal succession of a first target is called the attentional blink (AB). Studies have shown large individual differences in AB task performance, where lower task performance has been associated with more reversed order reports of both targets if these were presented in direct succession. In order to study the suggestion that reversed order reports reflect loss of temporal information, in the current study, we investigated whether individuals with a larger AB have a higher tendency to temporally integrate both targets into one visual event by using an AB paradigm containing symbol target stimuli. Methodology/Principal Findings Indeed, we found a positive relation between the tendency to temporally integrate information and individual AB magnitude. In contrast to earlier work, we found no relation between order reversals and individual AB magnitude. The occurrence of temporal integration was negatively related to the number of order reversals, indicating that individuals either integrated or separated and reversed information. Conclusion We conclude that individuals with better AB task performance use a shorter time window to integrate information, and therefore have higher preservation of temporal information. Furthermore, order reversals observed in paradigms with alphanumeric targets indeed seem to at least partially reflect temporal integration of both targets. Given the negative relation between temporal integration and ‘true’ order reversals observed with the current symbolic target set, these two behavioral outcomes seem to be two sides of the same coin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Willems
- Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Jefta D. Saija
- Department of Psychology, Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Elkan G. Akyürek
- Department of Psychology, Experimental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Sander Martens
- Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Temporal cues derived from statistical patterns can overcome resource limitations in the attentional blink. Atten Percept Psychophys 2015; 77:1585-95. [PMID: 25813742 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-015-0880-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that humans are sensitive to statistical patterns indicating the likely locations, identities, and timings of visual targets. Here we tested whether participants can also use this kind of information to ameliorate the attentional blink (AB)—a reduction in accuracy for the second of two targets (T1, T2) presented at brief intertarget intervals (lags). In particular, we asked whether participants can use patterns arising from differential distributions of intertarget lags across trials to predict the arrival of T2. We tested this by comparing the ABs in an aging versus a nonaging distribution of trials, where aging refers to the increased likelihood of T2, given that it has not yet occurred, when lags occur with equal frequencies. Experiments 1 and 2 showed that the aging condition yielded greater T2 accuracy at longer lags than did the nonaging condition. In Experiment 3, we used a more sensitive response time measure to show faster T2 discrimination at shorter lags in the nonaging condition. These results demonstrate that participants can predict the likely onset of T2 by using statistical patterns present in the AB task, and that they can use this ability to more effectively direct limited processing resources.
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Shin JC, Chang S, Cho YS. Adjustment to Subtle Time Constraints and Power Law Learning in Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. Front Psychol 2015; 6:1748. [PMID: 26635662 PMCID: PMC4649023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 10/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether attention could be modulated through the implicit learning of temporal information in a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task. Participants identified two target letters among numeral distractors. The stimulus-onset asynchrony immediately following the first target (SOA1) varied at three levels (70, 98, and 126 ms) randomly between trials or fixed within blocks of trials. Practice over 3 consecutive days resulted in a continuous improvement in the identification rate for both targets and attenuation of the attentional blink (AB), a decrement in target (T2) identification when presented 200-400 ms after another target (T1). Blocked SOA1s led to a faster rate of improvement in RSVP performance and more target order reversals relative to random SOA1s, suggesting that the implicit learning of SOA1 positively affected performance. The results also reveal "power law" learning curves for individual target identification as well as the reduction in the AB decrement. These learning curves reflect the spontaneous emergence of skill through subtle attentional modulations rather than general attentional distribution. Together, the results indicate that implicit temporal learning could improve high level and rapid cognitive processing and highlights the sensitivity and adaptability of the attentional system to subtle constraints in stimulus timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline C Shin
- Skill and Coordination Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN, USA
| | - Seah Chang
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Korea University Seoul, South Korea
| | - Yang Seok Cho
- Human Performance Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Korea University Seoul, South Korea
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Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) refers to a deficit in reporting the second of two sequentially presented targets when they are separated by less than 500 ms. Two decades of research has suggested that the AB is a robust phenomenon that is likely attributable to a fundamental limit in sequential object processing. This assumption, however, has recently been undermined by a demonstration that the AB can be eliminated after only a few hundred training trials (Choi, Chang, Shibata, Sasaki, & Watanabe in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 109:12242-12247, 2012). In the present work, we examined whether this training benefited performance directly, by eliminating processing limitations as claimed, or indirectly, by creating expectations about when targets would appear. Consistent with the latter option, when temporal expectations were reduced, training-related improvements declined significantly. This suggests that whereas training may ameliorate the AB indirectly, the processing limits evidenced in the AB cannot be directly eliminated by brief exposure to the task.
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Cellini N, Goodbourn PT, McDevitt EA, Martini P, Holcombe AO, Mednick SC. Sleep after practice reduces the attentional blink. Atten Percept Psychophys 2015; 77:1945-54. [PMID: 25911156 PMCID: PMC4704698 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-015-0912-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) is an impairment in detecting the second of two targets that appear in close temporal succession. We investigated the effect of practice and a nap on the magnitude of the AB deficit. We found evidence that sleep boosts practice-dependent reduction of the AB. Participants reported two target letters embedded in a rapid serial visual presentation display. After two morning sessions, half the participants took a polysomnographically recorded nap, while the others remained awake. Comparing two afternoon sessions to the two morning sessions, we observed a decreased AB only within the group who napped. The improvement was due to increased efficacy of the attentional selection of T2 (the probability of reporting a T2-relevant item). There was no change in selection's latency or temporal precision. The magnitude of improvement was positively associated with the duration of N2 sleep and the number of N2 sleep spindles. Our results suggest that sleep, particularly N2 sleep and sleep spindles, improves attentional selection in time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Cellini
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Patrick T. Goodbourn
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Brennan MacCallum Building (A18), Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A. McDevitt
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Paolo Martini
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 52 Oxford Street, Cambridge 02138, MA, USA
| | - Alex O. Holcombe
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Brennan MacCallum Building (A18), Sydney 2006, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Sara C. Mednick
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, 900 University Avenue, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Lasaponara S, Dragone A, Lecce F, Di Russo F, Doricchi F. The "serendipitous brain": Low expectancy and timing uncertainty of conscious events improve awareness of unconscious ones (evidence from the Attentional Blink). Cortex 2015; 71:15-33. [PMID: 26142182 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2015.05.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2014] [Revised: 01/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
To anticipate upcoming sensory events, the brain picks-up and exploits statistical regularities in the sensory environment. However, it is untested whether cumulated predictive knowledge about consciously seen stimuli improves the access to awareness of stimuli that usually go unseen. To explore this issue, we exploited the Attentional Blink (AB) effect, where conscious processing of a first visual target (T1) hinders detection of early following targets (T2). We report that timing uncertainty and low expectancy about the occurrence of consciously seen T2s presented outside the AB period, improve detection of early and otherwise often unseen T2s presented inside the AB. Recording of high-resolution Event Related Potentials (ERPs) and the study of their intracranial sources showed that the brain achieves this improvement by initially amplifying and extending the pre-conscious storage of T2s' traces signalled by the N2 wave originating in the extra-striate cortex. This enhancement in the N2 wave is followed by specific changes in the latency and amplitude of later components in the P3 wave (P3a and P3b), signalling access of the sensory trace to the network of parietal and frontal areas modulating conscious processing. These findings show that the interaction between conscious and unconscious processing changes adaptively as a function of the probabilistic properties of the sensory environment and that the combination of an active attentional state with loose probabilistic and temporal expectancies on forthcoming conscious events favors the emergence to awareness of otherwise unnoticed visual events. This likely provides an insight on the attentional conditions that predispose an active observer to unexpected "serendipitous" findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Lasaponara
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Alessio Dragone
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Roma, Italy
| | - Francesca Lecce
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Roma, Italy; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, UK
| | - Francesco Di Russo
- Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Roma, Italy; Dipartimento di Scienze Motorie, Umane e della Salute, Università "Foro Italico", Roma, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Doricchi
- Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università "La Sapienza", Roma, Italy; Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Roma, Italy.
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Temporal cues and the attentional blink: a further examination of the role of expectancy in sequential object perception. Atten Percept Psychophys 2015; 76:2212-20. [PMID: 24935807 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-014-0710-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Although perception is typically constrained by limits in available processing resources, these constraints can be overcome if information about environmental properties, such as the spatial location or expected onset time of an object, can be used to direct resources to particular sensory inputs. In this work, we examined these temporal expectancy effects in greater detail in the context of the attentional blink (AB), in which identification of the second of two targets is impaired when the targets are separated by less than about half a second. We replicated previous results showing that presenting information about the expected onset time of the second target can overcome the AB. Uniquely, we also showed that information about expected onset (a) reduces susceptibility to distraction, (b) can be derived from salient temporal consistencies in intertarget intervals across exposures, and (c) is more effective when presented consistently rather than intermittently, along with trials that do not contain expectancy information. These results imply that temporal expectancy can benefit object processing at perceptual and postperceptual stages, and that participants are capable of flexibly encoding consistent timing information about environmental events in order to aid perception.
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Dell'Acqua R, Dux PE, Wyble B, Doro M, Sessa P, Meconi F, Jolicœur P. The Attentional Blink Impairs Detection and Delays Encoding of Visual Information: Evidence from Human Electrophysiology. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 27:720-35. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
This article explores the time course of the functional interplay between detection and encoding stages of information processing in the brain and the role they play in conscious visual perception. We employed a multitarget rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) approach and examined the electrophysiological P3 component elicited by a target terminating an RSVP sequence. Target-locked P3 activity was detected both at frontal and parietal recording sites and an independent component analysis confirmed the presence of two distinct P3 components. The posterior P3b varied with intertarget lag, with diminished amplitude and postponed latency at short relative to long lags—an electroencephalographic signature of the attentional blink (AB). Under analogous conditions, the anterior P3a was also reduced in amplitude but did not vary in latency. Collectively, the results provide an electrophysiological record of the interaction between frontal and posterior components linked to detection (P3a) and encoding (P3b) of visual information. Our findings suggest that, although the AB delays target encoding into working memory, it does not slow down detection of a target but instead reduces the efficacy of this process. A functional characterization of P3a in attentive tasks is discussed with reference to current models of the AB phenomenon.
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Relieving the attentional blink in the amblyopic brain with video games. Sci Rep 2015; 5:8483. [PMID: 25715870 PMCID: PMC4341194 DOI: 10.1038/srep08483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Accepted: 12/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Video game play induces a generalized recovery of a range of spatial visual functions in the amblyopic brain. Here we ask whether video game play also alters temporal processing in the amblyopic brain. When visual targets are presented in rapid succession, correct identification of the first target (T1) can interfere with identification of the second (T2). This is known as the “attentional blink”. We measured the attentional blink in each eye of adults with amblyopia before and after 40 hours of active video game play, using a rapid serial visual presentation technique. After videogame play, we observed a ~40% reduction in the attentional blink (identifying T2 200 ms after T1) seen through the amblyopic eye and this improvement in performance transferred substantially to the untrained fellow sound eye. Our experiments show that the enhanced performance cannot be simply explained by eye patching alone, or to improved visual acuity, but is specific to videogame experience. Thus, videogame training might have important therapeutic applications for amblyopia and other visual brain disorders.
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Martens S, Wierda SM, Dun M, de Vries M, Smid HGOM. Musical minds: attentional blink reveals modality-specific restrictions. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118294. [PMID: 25714836 PMCID: PMC4340942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 01/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Formal musical training is known to have positive effects on attentional and executive functioning, processing speed, and working memory. Consequently, one may expect to find differences in the dynamics of temporal attention between musicians and non-musicians. Here we address the question whether that is indeed the case, and whether any beneficial effects of musical training on temporal attention are modality specific or generalize across sensory modalities. Methodology/Principal Findings When two targets are presented in close temporal succession, most people fail to report the second target, a phenomenon known as the attentional blink (AB). We measured and compared AB magnitude for musicians and non-musicians using auditory or visually presented letters and digits. Relative to non-musicians, the auditory AB was both attenuated and delayed in musicians, whereas the visual AB was larger. Non-musicians with a large auditory AB tended to show a large visual AB. However, neither a positive nor negative correlation was found in musicians, suggesting that at least in musicians, attentional restrictions within each modality are completely separate. Conclusion/Significance AB magnitude within one modality can generalize to another modality, but this turns out not to be the case for every individual. Formal musical training seems to have a domain-general, but modality-specific beneficial effect on selective attention. The results fit with the idea that a major source of attentional restriction as reflected in the AB lies in modality-specific, independent sensory systems rather than a central amodal system. The findings demonstrate that individual differences in AB magnitude can provide important information about the modular structure of human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sander Martens
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefan M. Wierda
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Mathijs Dun
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Michal de Vries
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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Kawato M, Lu ZL, Sagi D, Sasaki Y, Yu C, Watanabe T. Perceptual learning--the past, present and future. Vision Res 2015; 99:1-4. [PMID: 24881802 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuo Kawato
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence 02912, USA
| | - Zhong-Lin Lu
- Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Dov Sagi
- Department of Neurobiology, Brain Research Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- ATR Computational Neuroscience Labs, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan; Department of Cognitive, Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence 02912, USA
| | - Cong Yu
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- ATR Computational Neuroscience Labs, Kyoto 619-0288, Japan; Department of Cognitive, Linguistics and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence 02912, USA.
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Willems C, Damsma A, Wierda SM, Taatgen N, Martens S. Training-induced Changes in the Dynamics of Attention as Reflected in Pupil Dilation. J Cogn Neurosci 2014; 27:1161-71. [PMID: 25436673 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
One of the major topics in attention literature is the attentional blink (AB), which demonstrates a limited ability to identify the second of two targets (T1 and T2) when presented in close temporal succession (200-500 msec). Given that the effect has been thought of as robust and resistant to training for over two decades, one of the most remarkable findings in recent years is that the AB can be eliminated after a 1-hr training with a color-salient T2. However, the underlying mechanism of the training effect as well as the AB itself is as of yet still poorly understood. To elucidate this training effect, we employed a refined version of our recently developed pupil dilation deconvolution method to track any training-induced changes in the amount and onset of attentional processing in response to target stimuli. Behaviorally, we replicated the original training effect with a color-salient T2. However, we showed that training without a salient target, but with a consistent short target interval, is already sufficient to attenuate the AB. Pupil deconvolution did not reveal any posttraining changes in T2-related dilation but instead an earlier onset of dilation around T1. Moreover, normalized pupil dilation was enhanced posttraining compared with pretraining. We conclude that the AB can be eliminated by training without a salient cue. Furthermore, our data point to the existence of temporal expectations at the time points of the trained targets posttraining. Therefore, we tentatively conclude that temporal expectations arise as a result of training.
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Perceptual learning as a possible new approach for remediation and prevention of developmental dyslexia. Vision Res 2014; 99:78-87. [DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 11/18/2013] [Accepted: 11/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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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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40
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Can attenuation of attentional blink also evoke removal of repetition blindness? Vision Res 2014; 99:141-7. [PMID: 24632107 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2014.02.011] [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: 09/05/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A recent study showed that attentional blink (AB), which has been considered to reflect the capacity limitation of visual temporal attention, can be attenuated after a short period of the color-salient training, in which the second target (T2) within the AB period is given a salient color (Choi et al., 2012). The current study explored whether the effect of the color-salient training could be transferred to another phenomenon. In addition to AB, repetition blindness (RB) was employed, which is phenomenologically similar to, but fundamentally different from AB. After completion of the color-salient training with a nonrepeated T2 (corresponding to AB), RB was still observed, whereas AB was completely removed. However, the color-salient training with a repeated T2 (similar to RB) induced not only a significant reduction of RB but also an attenuation of AB. This result provides further evidence for dissociation between AB and RB. In addition, it implies that the color-salient training improves the attentional control mechanism related to target-distractor discrimination rather than to the perceptual system.
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Abstract
Despite extensive research on inhibitory control (IC) and its neural systems, the questions of whether IC can be improved with training and how the associated neural systems change are understudied. Behavioral evidence suggests that performance on IC tasks improves with training but that these gains do not transfer to other tasks, and almost nothing is known about how activation in IC-related brain regions changes with training. Human participants were randomly assigned to receive IC training (N = 30) on an adaptive version of the stop-signal task (SST) or an active sham-training (N = 30) during 10 sessions across 3 weeks. Neural activation during the SST before and after training was assessed in both groups using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Performance on the SST improved significantly more in the training group than in the control group. The pattern of neuroimaging results was consistent with a proactive control model such that activity in key parts of the IC network shifted earlier in time within the trial, becoming associated with cues that anticipated the upcoming need for IC. Specifically, activity in the inferior frontal gyrus decreased during the implementation of control (i.e., stopping) and increased during cues that preceded the implementation of IC from pretraining to post-training. Also, steeper behavioral improvement in the training group correlated with activation increases during the cue phase and decreases during implementation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results are the first to uncover the neural pathways for training-related improvements in IC and can explain previous null findings of IC training transfer.
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42
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Berkman ET, Kahn LE, Merchant JS. Training-induced changes in inhibitory control network activity. J Neurosci 2014. [PMID: 24381276 DOI: 10.1523/jneur0sci.3564-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite extensive research on inhibitory control (IC) and its neural systems, the questions of whether IC can be improved with training and how the associated neural systems change are understudied. Behavioral evidence suggests that performance on IC tasks improves with training but that these gains do not transfer to other tasks, and almost nothing is known about how activation in IC-related brain regions changes with training. Human participants were randomly assigned to receive IC training (N = 30) on an adaptive version of the stop-signal task (SST) or an active sham-training (N = 30) during 10 sessions across 3 weeks. Neural activation during the SST before and after training was assessed in both groups using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Performance on the SST improved significantly more in the training group than in the control group. The pattern of neuroimaging results was consistent with a proactive control model such that activity in key parts of the IC network shifted earlier in time within the trial, becoming associated with cues that anticipated the upcoming need for IC. Specifically, activity in the inferior frontal gyrus decreased during the implementation of control (i.e., stopping) and increased during cues that preceded the implementation of IC from pretraining to post-training. Also, steeper behavioral improvement in the training group correlated with activation increases during the cue phase and decreases during implementation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These results are the first to uncover the neural pathways for training-related improvements in IC and can explain previous null findings of IC training transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elliot T Berkman
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403
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Bang JW, Khalilzadeh O, Hämäläinen M, Watanabe T, Sasaki Y. Location specific sleep spindle activity in the early visual areas and perceptual learning. Vision Res 2013; 99:162-71. [PMID: 24380705 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2013.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2013] [Revised: 11/27/2013] [Accepted: 12/20/2013] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Visual perceptual learning (VPL) is consolidated during sleep. However, the underlying neuronal mechanisms of consolidation are not yet fully understood. It has been suggested that the spontaneous brain oscillations that characterize sleep stages are indicative of the consolidation of learning and memory. We investigated whether sleep spindles and/or slow-waves are associated with consolidation of VPL during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep during the first sleep cycle, using magnetoencephalography (MEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and polysomnography (PSG). We hypothesized that after training, early visual areas will show an increase in slow sigma, fast sigma and/or delta activity, corresponding to slow/fast sleep spindles and slow-waves, respectively. We found that during sleep stage 2, but not during slow-wave sleep, the slow sigma power within the trained region of early visual areas was larger after training compared to baseline, and that the increase was larger in the trained region than in the untrained region. However, neither fast sigma nor delta band power increased significantly after training in either sleep stage. Importantly, performance gains for the trained task were correlated with the difference of power increases in slow sigma activity between the trained and untrained regions. This finding suggests that slow sigma activity plays a critical role in the consolidation of VPL, at least in sleep stage 2 during the first sleep cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Won Bang
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Perceptual Learning, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer St, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Omid Khalilzadeh
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
| | - Matti Hämäläinen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, 149 13th St, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
| | - Takeo Watanabe
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Perceptual Learning, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer St, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
| | - Yuka Sasaki
- Laboratory for Cognitive and Perceptual Learning, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic & Psychological Sciences, Brown University, 190 Thayer St, Providence, RI 02912, USA.
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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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van Vugt MK, Slagter HA. Control over experience? Magnitude of the attentional blink depends on meditative state. Conscious Cogn 2013; 23:32-9. [PMID: 24322326 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2013] [Revised: 11/12/2013] [Accepted: 11/17/2013] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The information processing capacity of the human mind is limited, as is evidenced by the so-called 'attentional-blink' deficit. This deficit is believed to result from competition between stimuli for limited attentional resources. We examined to what extent advanced meditators can manipulate their attentional state and control performance on an attentional blink task. We compared the magnitude of the attentional blink between states of focused attention meditation (in which one focuses tightly on an object) and states of open monitoring meditation (in which one is simply aware of whatever comes into experience) in a sample of experienced meditators. We found a smaller attentional blink during open monitoring compared to focused attention meditation due to reduced T1 capture. Of note, this effect was only found for very experienced meditators (on average 10,704 h of experience). These data may suggest that very advanced practitioners can exert some control over their conscious experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke K van Vugt
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Netherlands.
| | - Heleen A Slagter
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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