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Pulliam HR, Springer SD, Rice DL, Ende GC, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Wilson TW, Taylor BK. Neurotoxic effects of home radon exposure on oscillatory dynamics serving attentional orienting in children and adolescents. Neuroimage 2024; 292:120606. [PMID: 38604538 PMCID: PMC11097196 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Radon is a naturally occurring gas that contributes significantly to radiation in the environment and is the second leading cause of lung cancer globally. Previous studies have shown that other environmental toxins have deleterious effects on brain development, though radon has not been studied as thoroughly in this context. This study examined the impact of home radon exposure on the neural oscillatory activity serving attention reorientation in youths. Fifty-six participants (ages 6-14 years) completed a classic Posner cuing task during magnetoencephalography (MEG), and home radon levels were measured for each participant. Time-frequency spectrograms indicated stronger theta (3-7 Hz, 300-800 ms), alpha (9-13 Hz, 400-900 ms), and beta responses (14-24 Hz, 400-900 ms) during the task relative to baseline. Source reconstruction of each significant oscillatory response was performed, and validity maps were computed by subtracting the task conditions (invalidly cued - validly cued). These validity maps were examined for associations with radon exposure, age, and their interaction in a linear regression design. Children with greater radon exposure showed aberrant oscillatory activity across distributed regions critical for attentional processing and attention reorientation (e.g., dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex). Generally, youths with greater radon exposure exhibited a reverse neural validity effect in almost all regions and showed greater overall power relative to peers with lesser radon exposure. We also detected an interactive effect between radon exposure and age where youths with greater radon exposure exhibited divergent developmental trajectories in neural substrates implicated in attentional processing (e.g., bilateral prefrontal cortices, superior temporal gyri, and inferior parietal lobules). These data suggest aberrant, but potentially compensatory neural processing as a function of increasing home radon exposure in areas critical for attention and higher order cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley R Pulliam
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Seth D Springer
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Danielle L Rice
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Grace C Ende
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Hallie J Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Madelyn P Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, NE, USA; Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Xia R, Zhao X, Liu Y, Dou Y, Shu Z, Ding X, Zhou X, Han J, Zhao X. Attention network training promotes selective attention of children with low socioeconomic status. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 239:105807. [PMID: 37972517 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the difference of selective attention efficiency between children with low and high socioeconomic status (SES) and the promotional effect of attention network training (an attention network test was used as the training task) on selective attention in children with the low SES. A total of 139 10- to 12-year-old children participated in two experiments (71 in Experiment 1 and 68 in Experiment 2). The results suggest that selective attention and switch ability of children with high SES are better than those of children with low SES. After attention network training, selective attention, switch ability, and working memory of low-SES children improved significantly. The findings provide evidence that attention network training could enhance selective attention in low-SES children and that the beneficial training effect could also transfer to switch ability and working memory. The research may provide a promising method to compensate cognitive delay of low-SES children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruixue Xia
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China.
| | - Xuerong Zhao
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Yan Dou
- Lanzhou 101 Middle School,Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Zhenzhou Shu
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Xiaohuan Ding
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Xiaoqin Zhou
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Jingjing Han
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou 730070, China; Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730070, China.
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3
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Wang J, Guo X, Xing Z, Wang G, Wang J, Hu J, Sun J, Li C, Tong S, Hong X. EEG correlates of anticipatory attention and target processing in children and adults during visual spatial attention. Physiol Behav 2023; 271:114341. [PMID: 37660775 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114341] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
The ability of attentional orienting has been suggested to keep developing throughout childhood. Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have shown that 6-10 year old children exhibit lateralized alpha-band (8-13 Hz) activity and event-related potentials (ERPs) that are classic markers of spatial attentional orienting in adults. However, the lack of a direct comparison of these EEG correlates between children and adults in the same experiment made it difficult to evaluate developmental effects on neural activity throughout attentional stages. This study aimed to directly compare cue-related alpha activity and ERPs for the anticipatory attention stage and target-related ERPs for the target processing stage between healthy children and adults. Participants, including 19 children (6-10 years) and 23 adults (18-34 years), successfully completed a visual spatial attention task, although children responded more slowly and less consistently than adults. Both age groups exhibited significant cue-related alpha lateralization and ERPs (EDAN, ADAN, and LDAP) during anticipatory attention and significant attentional modulation of target-related N1 during target processing. However, no significant difference was found in the magnitude of attentional modulation of these EEG correlates between children and adults. These findings suggest that the neural underpinnings of anticipatory attention and target processing during visual spatial attention could have been largely developed in 6-10 year old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqi Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ziping Xing
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Guanghai Wang
- Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Pediatric Translational Medicine Institute, Shanghai Children's Medical Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Jingyi Wang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jingyi Hu
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Junfeng Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Chunbo Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology (CEBSIT), Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai 200030, China; Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Shanbao Tong
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan Road, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Xiangfei Hong
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 600 Wan Ping Nan Road, Shanghai 200030, China.
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Blanco NJ, Turner BM, Sloutsky VM. The benefits of immature cognitive control: How distributed attention guards against learning traps. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 226:105548. [PMID: 36126587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 08/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control allows one to focus one's attention efficiently on relevant information while filtering out irrelevant information. This ability provides a means of rapid and effective learning, but using this control also brings risks. Importantly, useful information may be ignored and missed, and learners may fall into "learning traps" (e.g., learned inattention) wherein they fail to realize that what they ignore carries important information. Previous research has shown that adults may be more prone to such traps than young children, but the mechanisms underlying this difference are unclear. The current study used eye tracking to examine the role of attentional control during learning in succumbing to these learning traps. The participants, 4-year-old children and adults, completed a category learning task in which an unannounced switch occurred wherein the feature dimensions most relevant to correct categorization became irrelevant and formerly irrelevant dimensions became relevant. After the switch, adults were more likely than children to ignore the new highly relevant dimension and settle on a suboptimal categorization strategy. Furthermore, eye-tracking analyses reveal that greater attentional selectivity during learning (i.e., optimizing attention to focus only on the most relevant sources of information) predicted this tendency to miss important information later. Children's immature cognitive control, leading to broadly distributed attention, appears to protect children from this trap-although at the cost of less efficient and slower learning. These results demonstrate the double-edged sword of cognitive control and suggest that immature control may serve an adaptive function early in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel J Blanco
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - Brandon M Turner
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Vladimir M Sloutsky
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Hayre RK, Cragg L, Allen HA. Endogenous control is insufficient for preventing attentional capture in children and adults. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 228:103611. [PMID: 35724537 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103611] [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: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Adults are known to have developed the ability to selectively focus their attention in a goal-driven (endogenous) manner but it is less clear at what stage in development (5-6 & 9-11 years) children can endogenously control their attention and whether they behave similarly to adults when managing distractions. In this study we administered a child-adapted cued visual search task to three age-groups: five- to six-year-olds (N = 45), nine- to eleven-year-olds (N = 42) and adults (N = 42). Participants were provided with a cue which either guided their attention towards or away from an upcoming target. On some trials, a singleton distracter was presented which participants needed to ignore. Participants completed three conditions where the cues were: 1) usually helpful (High Predictive), 2) usually unhelpful (Low Predictive) and 3) never helpful (Baseline) in guiding attention towards the target. We found that endogenous cue-utilisation develops with increasing age. Overall, nine- to eleven-year-olds and adults, but not five- to six-year-olds, utilised the endogenous cues in the High Predictive condition. However, all age-groups were unable to ignore the singleton distracter even when using endogenous control. Moreover, we found better cue-maintenance ability was related to poorer distracter-inhibition ability in early-childhood, but these skills were no longer related further on in development. We conclude that overall endogenous control is still developing in early-childhood, but an adult-like form of this skill has been acquired by mid-childhood. Furthermore, endogenous cue-utilisation was shown as insufficient for preventing attentional capture in both children and adults.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lucy Cragg
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Harriet A Allen
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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6
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Spatial attention in children with perinatal stroke. Behav Brain Res 2022; 417:113614. [PMID: 34606777 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113614] [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: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Spatial neglect is a common feature of right hemisphere damage in adults, but less is known about spatial inattention following early brain damage. We used a Posner-based cueing task to examine hemispatial neglect and aspects of attention in children with perinatal stroke in either left (LH) or right hemisphere (RH) and controls. A visual perception task assessed the speed of visual perception. A spatial attention cueing task (the E-task) measured the ability to discriminate the direction of a target stimulus ("E"), when presented on the left or right side of the screen. This task provided indices of performance for attention orienting, disengagement and reorienting. Children with LH lesions had slowed visual perception compared to controls. Children with RH lesions did not demonstrate similar deficits. On the E-task, groups with both LH and RH lesions demonstrated lower accuracy on both left and right sides compared to controls. Children with LH lesions also showed impaired attention orienting and disengagement on left and right sides compared to controls, while children with RH lesions were most impaired in orienting and disengagement on their contralesional side. Children with LH lesions demonstrated more extensive attentional deficits than children with RH lesions. These results suggest that development of spatial attention may require different neural networks than maintenance of attention.
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7
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Aljahlan Y, Spaulding TJ. Attentional shifting in children with developmental language disorder: A meta-analysis. JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2021; 91:106105. [PMID: 34029884 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcomdis.2021.106105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2019] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A meta-analysis investigating attentional shifting in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) was conducted. Task type, participant age, and dependent variable metric were examined as significant moderators. METHOD A systematic literature review identified 20 studies that met the following inclusionary criteria:(a) were published between 1994-2018; (b) included children with DLD aged 3;00 to 17;11 years; and (c) used behavioral performance-based measures of attentional shifting. RESULTS Children with DLD performed poorer than age-matched peers with typically developing language (TL) by 0.42 SD across attentional shifting studies. Moderator analyses showed an effect of task type, as children with DLD performed comparatively poorer on set-shifting (g = -.52) but not alternating tasks (g = -.18). Neither age nor dependent variable used to measure attentional shifting were significant moderators. DISCUSSION Children with DLD exhibit deficits in attentional shifting relative to same-age peers. Results of moderator analyses reveal that deficits were found on set-shifting but not alternating tasks and that these deficits remained consistent whether researchers measure accuracy or response time switch costs to ascertain attentional shifting ability. In addition, moderator analysis results suggest that attentional shifting deficits are consistent in preschool-age and school-age children with DLD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yara Aljahlan
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2 Alethia Drive, Storrs, CT, 06269.
| | - Tammie J Spaulding
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2 Alethia Drive, Storrs, CT, 06269
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Federico F. Natural Environment and Social Relationship in the Development of Attentional Network. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1345. [PMID: 32670162 PMCID: PMC7332839 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The attention mechanism is related to both voluntary and automatic processes, that may be summarized in three distinct networks: alert, orientation, and inhibitory control. These networks can be modulated by different contextual and relational situations. Aim of this review is to explain how a combination of natural and social stimuli can positively affect the attentional processes. It has been proposed that the exposition to natural environment can positively affect direct attention, a common resource supporting both executive functioning and self-regulation processes in cognition. It has been suggested that the decrease of the effort required to voluntary control attention from the bottom upwards could determine some internal reflection that may support creative thinking secondarily to a simultaneous reduction in the effort required to orient attention between thoughts and impressions. In my view, not only exposition to natural and green environment improves attentional processes but also the involvement in social relationship. The development of the orientation and inhibitory control networks is sensitive to the social nature of the stimuli, for instance, in a task, including socially relevant stimuli the efficiency of these two attentional networks increases in children, in adults and in elderly subjects. Social attention, starting very early in the life (joint attention) is a very important mechanism for the regulation of social relationships. A key for a better development of cognitive functions such as attentional processes is the promotion of the immersion in the natural environment and the involvement in social relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Federico
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Johnson KA, Lewis FC, Cornish KM. A child-focused version of the Attention Network Task designed to investigate interactions between the attention networks, including the endogenous orienting network. Child Neuropsychol 2019; 26:666-690. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2019.1702635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Johnson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
| | - Frances C. Lewis
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia
- Monash School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - Kim M. Cornish
- Monash School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
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White AL, Boynton GM, Yeatman JD. The link between reading ability and visual spatial attention across development. Cortex 2019; 121:44-59. [PMID: 31542467 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2019] [Revised: 07/11/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Interacting with a cluttered and dynamic environment requires making decisions about visual information at relevant locations while ignoring irrelevant locations. Typical adults can do this with covert spatial attention: prioritizing particular visual field locations even without moving the eyes. Deficits of covert spatial attention have been implicated in developmental dyslexia, a specific reading disability. Previous studies of children with dyslexia, however, have been complicated by group differences in overall task ability that are difficult to distinguish from selective spatial attention. Here, we used a single-fixation visual search task to estimate orientation discrimination thresholds with and without an informative spatial cue in a large sample (N = 123) of people ranging in age from 5 to 70 years and with a wide range of reading abilities. We assessed the efficiency of attentional selection via the cueing effect: the difference in log thresholds with and without the spatial cue. Across our whole sample, both absolute thresholds and the cueing effect gradually improved throughout childhood and adolescence. Compared to typical readers, individuals with dyslexia had higher thresholds (worse orientation discrimination) as well as smaller cueing effects (weaker attentional selection). Those differences in dyslexia were especially pronounced prior to age 20, when basic visual function is still maturing. Thus, in line with previous theories, literacy skills are associated with the development of selective spatial attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex L White
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States.
| | - Geoffrey M Boynton
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Jason D Yeatman
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States; Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
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11
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Santhana Gopalan PR, Loberg O, Hämäläinen JA, Leppänen PHT. Attentional processes in typically developing children as revealed using brain event-related potentials and their source localization in Attention Network Test. Sci Rep 2019; 9:2940. [PMID: 30814533 PMCID: PMC6393460 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-36947-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention-related processes include three functional sub-components: alerting, orienting, and inhibition. We investigated these components using EEG-based, brain event-related potentials and their neuronal source activations during the Attention Network Test in typically developing school-aged children. Participants were asked to detect the swimming direction of the centre fish in a group of five fish. The target stimulus was either preceded by a cue (centre, double, or spatial) or no cue. An EEG using 128 electrodes was recorded for 83 children aged 12-13 years. RTs showed significant effects across all three sub-components of attention. Alerting and orienting (responses to double vs non-cued target stimulus and spatially vs centre-cued target stimulus, respectively) resulted in larger N1 amplitude, whereas inhibition (responses to incongruent vs congruent target stimulus) resulted in larger P3 amplitude. Neuronal source activation for the alerting effect was localized in the right anterior temporal and bilateral occipital lobes, for the orienting effect bilaterally in the occipital lobe, and for the inhibition effect in the medial prefrontal cortex and left anterior temporal lobe. Neuronal sources of ERPs revealed that sub-processes related to the attention network are different in children as compared to earlier adult fMRI studies, which was not evident from scalp ERPs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Otto Loberg
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Psychology, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
| | | | - Paavo H T Leppänen
- University of Jyväskylä, Department of Psychology, Jyväskylä, 40014, Finland
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12
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Nussenbaum K, Scerif G, Nobre AC. Differential Effects of Salient Visual Events on Memory-Guided Attention in Adults and Children. Child Dev 2018; 90:1369-1388. [PMID: 30295321 PMCID: PMC6767380 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Both salient visual events and scene‐based memories can influence attention, but it is unclear how they interact in children and adults. In Experiment 1, children (N = 27; ages 7–12) were faster to discriminate targets when they appeared at the same versus different location as they had previously learned or as a salient visual event. In contrast, adults (N = 30; ages 18–31) responded faster only when cued by visual events. While Experiment 2 confirmed that adults (N = 27) can use memories to orient attention, Experiment 3 showed that, even in the absence of visual events, the effects of memories on attention were larger in children (N = 27) versus adults (N = 28). These findings suggest that memories may be a robust source of influence on children's attention.
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13
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Chukoskie L, Westerfield M, Townsend J. A novel approach to training attention and gaze in ASD: A feasibility and efficacy pilot study. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 78:546-554. [PMID: 29218791 DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2017] [Revised: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In addition to the social, communicative and behavioral symptoms that define the disorder, individuals with ASD have difficulty re-orienting attention quickly and accurately. Similarly, fast re-orienting saccadic eye movements are also inaccurate and more variable in both endpoint and timing. Atypical gaze and attention are among the earliest symptoms observed in ASD. Disruption of these foundation skills critically affects the development of higher level cognitive and social behavior. We propose that interventions aimed at these early deficits that support social and cognitive skills will be broadly effective. We conducted a pilot clinical trial designed to demonstrate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of using gaze-contingent video games for low-cost in-home training of attention and eye movement. Eight adolescents with ASD participated in an 8-week training, with pre-, mid- and post-testing of eye movement and attention control. Six of the eight adolescents completed the 8 weeks of training and all six showed improvement in attention (orienting, disengagement) and eye movement control or both. All game systems remained intact for the duration of training and all participants could use the system independently. We delivered a robust, low-cost, gaze-contingent game system for home use that, in our pilot training sample, improved the attention orienting and eye movement performance of adolescent participants in 8 weeks of training. We are currently conducting a clinical trial to replicate these results and to examine what, if any, aspects of training transfer to more real-world tasks. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 546-554, 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne Chukoskie
- Institute for Neural Computation, University of California, San Diego.,Research on Autism and Development Laboratory, University of California, San Diego
| | - Marissa Westerfield
- Research on Autism and Development Laboratory, University of California, San Diego.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego
| | - Jeanne Townsend
- Research on Autism and Development Laboratory, University of California, San Diego.,Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego
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14
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Commodari E. Novice Readers: The Role of Focused, Selective, Distributed and Alternating Attention at the First Year of the Academic Curriculum. Iperception 2017; 8:2041669517718557. [PMID: 28835811 PMCID: PMC5528191 DOI: 10.1177/2041669517718557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to read depends on different cognitive skills. This study investigated the role of the main components of attention (selective attention, focused attention, distributed attention, and alternating attention) on the different dimensions of reading skills in novice readers. Participants were 288 Italian children, who attended the first year of primary school. Attention and reading skills (reading "comprehension," "accuracy," and "speed") were measured. Different components of attention influence each dimension of reading. Moreover, both the correctness and rapidity at which attention operates play a pivotal role in learning to read. Interestingly, selective attention is involved in all dimensions of reading. These findings may have educational and practical relevance. The early assessment of attention might favor the development of new strategies of intervention in dyslexic children and in children at risk of developing learning difficulties.
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Kuhn G, Teszka R. Don't get misdirected! Differences in overt and covert attentional inhibition between children and adults. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2017; 71:688-694. [PMID: 28084918 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2016.1277770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has revealed marked improvements in cognitive control between the age of 10 years and adulthood. The aim of the current study was to explore differences in attentional control between adults and children within a natural context, namely whilst they were watching a magic trick. We measured participants' eye movements whilst they watched a misdirection trick in which attentional misdirection was used to prevent observers from noticing a salient visual event. Half of our participants failed to detect this event even though it took place in full view. Children below the age of 10 were significantly less likely to notice the event than the adults and were also more reliably overtly misdirected (i.e., where they looked). Our results illustrate that within a more naturalistic context children are significantly more distracted than adults, and this distraction can have major implications on their visual awareness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustav Kuhn
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| | - Robert Teszka
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
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16
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Vollebregt MA, Zumer JM, ter Huurne N, Castricum J, Buitelaar JK, Jensen O. Lateralized modulation of posterior alpha oscillations in children. Neuroimage 2015; 123:245-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.06.054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Revised: 06/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
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17
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Mullane JC, Lawrence MA, Corkum PV, Klein RM, McLaughlin EN. The development of and interaction among alerting, orienting, and executive attention in children. Child Neuropsychol 2014; 22:155-76. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2014.981252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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18
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Electrophysiological correlates of attention networks in childhood and early adulthood. Neuropsychologia 2014; 57:78-92. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2014.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2013] [Revised: 02/10/2014] [Accepted: 02/14/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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19
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Leclercq V, Siéroff E. Development of endogenous orienting of attention in school-age children. Child Neuropsychol 2013; 19:400-19. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2012.682568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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20
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Bayless SJ, Nagata Y, Mills T, Taylor MJ. MEG measures of covert orienting and gaze processing in children. Brain Topogr 2013; 26:616-26. [PMID: 23504066 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-013-0279-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2012] [Accepted: 03/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
We investigated developmental differences in the cortical attention processing network using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and a spatial cueing task in 7-8 and 12-13 year old children. The cueing paradigm consisted of a centrally presented face with left or right averted eye-gaze in the gaze cue condition, and a central face with straight gaze presented with a cue stimulus to the left or right of the face in the peripheral cue condition. Cue congruency was 50 %. MEG was recorded during the two conditions and event-related beamforming was used to determine the timing and location of the brain activity related to target detection with the two types of cueing. The MEG data showed no age differences in the eye-gaze condition, but a developmental difference characterised by slower and more diffuse activations for peripheral cues in the younger versus the older age group. In the 7-8 year olds activation peaked around 300 ms, and was localised to left inferior frontal gyrus as well as posterior areas related to visuo-spatial processing. The 12-13 year olds showed a temporoparietal pattern of activation characteristic of spatial reorientation which resembled that seen for adult participants using the same paradigm (Nagata et al. 2012). The activation peaked around 200 ms and was localised to the left superior frontal gyrus, middle frontal gyrus but bilaterally near the temporoparietal junction. The data indicate maturational changes in brain activity for peripheral cueing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Bayless
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging & Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada,
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21
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Keehn B, Müller RA, Townsend J. Atypical attentional networks and the emergence of autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:164-83. [PMID: 23206665 PMCID: PMC3563720 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The sociocommunicative impairments that define autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not present at birth but emerge gradually over the first two years of life. In typical development, basic attentional processes may provide a critical foundation for sociocommunicative abilities. Therefore early attentional dysfunction in ASD may result in atypical development of social communication. Prior research has demonstrated that persons with ASD exhibit early and lifelong impairments in attention. The primary aim of this paper is to provide a review of the extant research on attention in ASD using a framework of functionally independent attentional networks as conceptualized by Posner and colleagues: the alerting, orienting and executive control networks (Posner and Petersen, 1990; Petersen and Posner, 2012). The neural substrates and typical development of each attentional network are briefly discussed, a review of the ASD attention literature is presented, and a hypothesis is proposed that links aberrant attentional mechanisms, specifically impaired disengagement of attention, with the emergence of core ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Keehn
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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22
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Sensitivity to lateral information on a perceptual word identification task in French third and fifth graders. Brain Cogn 2011; 78:123-32. [PMID: 22204877 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2011.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2010] [Revised: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed at examining sensitivity to lateral linguistic and nonlinguistic information in third and fifth grade readers. A word identification task with a threshold was used, and targets were displayed foveally with or without distractors. Sensitivity to lateral information was inferred from the deterioration of the rate of correct word identification when displayed with distractors. Results show that the two reader groups were sensitive to both right and left lateral information. The area of sensitivity to this information was more extended for the identification of easy words than difficult words. Examination of the detrimental effect of distractors suggests that in both third and fifth graders, the impact of lateral information on foveal processing is the result of a general distraction effect, but also of linguistic processing whose nature remains to be clarified.
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Astle D, Nobre A, Scerif G. Attentional control constrains visual short-term memory: insights from developmental and individual differences. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2011; 65:277-94. [PMID: 20680889 PMCID: PMC4152725 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2010.492622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The mechanisms by which attentional control biases mnemonic representations have attracted much interest but remain poorly understood. As attention and memory develop gradually over childhood and variably across individuals, assessing how participants of different ages and ability attend to mnemonic contents can elucidate their interplay. In Experiment 1, 7-year-olds, 10-year-olds, and adults were asked to report whether a probe item had been part of a previously presented four-item array. The initial array could either be uncued, be preceded ("precued"), or followed ("retrocued") by a spatial cue orienting attention to one of the potential item locations. Performance across groups was significantly improved by both cue types, and individual differences in children's retrospective attentional control predicted their visual short-term and working memory span, whereas their basic ability to remember in the absence of cues did not. Experiment 2 imposed a variable delay between the array and the subsequent orienting cue. Cueing benefits were greater in adults than in 10-year-olds, but they persisted even when cues followed the array by nearly 3 seconds, suggesting that orienting operated on durable short-term representations for both age groups. The findings indicate that there are substantial developmental and individual differences in the ability to control attention to memory and that in turn these differences constrain visual short-term memory capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.E. Astle
- Department of Experimental Psychology University of Oxford
| | - A.C. Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology University of Oxford
| | - G. Scerif
- Department of Experimental Psychology University of Oxford
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24
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Abstract
Visual scenes contain many statistical regularities such as the likely identity and location of objects that are present; with experience, such regularities can be encoded and can ultimately facilitate the deployment of spatial attention to important locations. Memory-guided attention has been extensively examined in adults with the 'contextual cueing' paradigm and has been linked to specific neural substrates - a medial temporal lobe (MTL)-frontoparietal network. However, it currently remains unknown when this ability comes 'online' during development. Thus, we examined the performance of school-aged children on an age-appropriate version of the contextual cueing paradigm. Children searched for a target fish among distractor fish in new displays and in 'old' displays on a touchscreen computer. Old displays repeated across blocks of trials and thus provided an opportunity for prior experience with the invariant configuration of the stimuli to guide attentional deployment. We found that over time children searched old displays significantly faster than new displays, thus revealing intact memory-guided attention and presumed function of an MTL-frontoparietal network in 5- to 9-year-olds. More generally, our findings suggest that children are remarkably sensitive to the inherent structure of their visual environment and this enables attentional deployment to become more efficient with experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Dixon
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, 100 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 3G3
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25
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Bosmans G, Braet C, Koster E, Raedt RD. Attachment Security and Attentional Breadth toward the Attachment Figure in Middle Childhood. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY 2009; 38:872-82. [DOI: 10.1080/15374410903258926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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26
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Iarocci G, Enns JT, Randolph B, Burack JA. The modulation of visual orienting reflexes across the lifespan. Dev Sci 2009; 12:715-24. [PMID: 19702764 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00810.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Grace Iarocci
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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27
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Dye MWG, Green CS, Bavelier D. The development of attention skills in action video game players. Neuropsychologia 2009; 47:1780-9. [PMID: 19428410 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2008] [Revised: 01/23/2009] [Accepted: 02/01/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Previous research suggests that action video game play improves attentional resources, allowing gamers to better allocate their attention across both space and time. In order to further characterize the plastic changes resulting from playing these video games, we administered the Attentional Network Test (ANT) to action game players and non-playing controls aged between 7 and 22 years. By employing a mixture of cues and flankers, the ANT provides measures of how well attention is allocated to targets as a function of alerting and orienting cues, and to what extent observers are able to filter out the influence of task irrelevant information flanking those targets. The data suggest that action video game players of all ages have enhanced attentional skills that allow them to make faster correct responses to targets, and leaves additional processing resources that spill over to process distractors flanking the targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- M W G Dye
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Center for Visual Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, United States.
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28
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Wilmut K, Brown JH, Wann JP. Attention disengagement in children with developmental coordination disorder. Disabil Rehabil 2007; 29:47-55. [PMID: 17364756 DOI: 10.1080/09638280600947765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Previous research has shown that children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have poorly developed strategies for allocating attention. This study examines the allocation of attention and integration of visuo-spatial and motor systems in children with DCD in a motor (look+hit condition) and a motor-free (look condition) task. METHOD Three groups of control children were used to compare the performance of a group of children with DCD. Children were seated in front of a central fixation point and six peripheral targets, and were asked to look at or hit targets when illuminated. Saccade/hand movement latencies were measured on gap trials (gap between fixation offset and target onset) and overlap trials (fixation offset and target onset overlapped). RESULTS DCD children were not slower than controls to disengage attention during the look condition. However, during the look+hit condition the DCD children showed a prolonged disengagement period, which was also seen in younger control children. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that DCD children may have deficits in the allocation of attention for action, in both the speed of onset of a movement and the accuracy of the movement. It is concluded that attention disengagement may contribute to problems of visuo-motor integration in DCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate Wilmut
- School of Psychology, University of Reading, Berkshire, UK.
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29
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Obrzut JE, Boliek CA, Asbjornsen A. Does Attentional Cueing Affect Dichotic Listening Performance in Children? Dev Neuropsychol 2006; 30:791-800. [PMID: 17083293 DOI: 10.1207/s15326942dn3003_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
This study addresses the effects of verbal versus nonverbal (tone) shifts of attention on dichotic listening (DL) performance with children. Theoretically, a tonal cue may be more effective in increasing attention than a verbal cue following instruction. The inconsistency of studies reporting substantial effects of attention on ear asymmetries in children with or without learning disabilities (LDs) may be due to a developmental difference in their ability to use verbal or tone cues to select stimuli for recall. Participants included 30 right-handed children (15 control, 15 with LDs) with a mean age of 10.8 years. Each participant received 60 trials of a monaural tone cue task, 60 trials of a binaural verbal cue task, and 60 trials of a monaural verbal cue task, to direct attention to either the left or right ear before the presentation of consonant-vowel syllable pairs in a DL task. A factorial design analysis of variance yielded a significant right-ear advantage for both groups. More important, the Group x Task interaction was found to be significant, indicating that group performance on ear scores was dependent on type of cueing condition. Whereas all 3 cue conditions were effective in orienting attention for control participants, larger shifts were apparent under both binaural and monaural verbal instructional cue conditions. In contrast, participants with LD showed larger shifts of attention under the tonal cue condition. These results show that control participants have greater ability to focus attention with the use of a verbal cue, whereas participants with LD show greater ability to orient attention with the use of a tone cue in reducing error rates in DL performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- John E Obrzut
- Department of Special Education, Rehabilitation, and School Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.
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30
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Abstract
The present study was conducted to examine the development of attentional and oculomotor control. More specifically, the authors were interested in the development of the ability to inhibit an incorrect but prepotent response to a salient distractor. Participants, who ranged in age from 8 to 25 years, performed 3 different eye movement tasks: a prosaccade, an antisaccade, and an oculomotor capture task. The time required to initiate a saccade decreased with age across all 3 tasks. Consistent with previous reports, accuracy was relatively age invariant in the prosaccade task. Performance improved with age, asymptoting at 16 years in the antisaccade task. It is interesting to note that despite the superficial similarity of the antisaccade and oculomotor capture tasks, performance was relatively age invariant in the latter. These results are discussed in terms of developmental differences in the interaction of goal-directed and stimulus-driven processes in the control of attention and action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arthur F Kramer
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 61801, USA.
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31
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Dennis M, Edelstein K, Copeland K, Frederick J, Francis DJ, Hetherington R, Blaser SE, Kramer LA, Drake JM, Brandt ME, Fletcher JM. Covert orienting to exogenous and endogenous cues in children with spina bifida. Neuropsychologia 2005; 43:976-87. [PMID: 15716168 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2004.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2003] [Revised: 06/07/2004] [Accepted: 08/17/2004] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Children with spina bifida meningomyelocele and hydrocephalus (SBM) have congenital dysmorphology of the midbrain and thinning of the posterior cortex, brain regions associated with the control of covert orienting. We studied cued covert orienting in 92 children with SBM, and 40 age-matched typically developing controls. Cues were of three types: exogenous (luminance change in a peripheral box either valid or invalid for upcoming target location), endogenous arrow (a central arrow either valid or invalid for upcoming target location), or endogenous word (a central word either valid or invalid for upcoming target location). Compared to controls, children with SBM showed slowed covert orienting to both exogenous and endogenous cues and a higher cost of attentional disengagement (e.g., a greater cue-validity effect) for exogenous although not for endogenous cues. Covert orienting deficits were associated with midbrain dysmorphology in the form of beaking of the tectum, and with right posterior brain volume loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Dennis
- Brain and Behaviour Program, Department of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, Ont. M5G 1X8, Canada.
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Ceponiene R, Lepistö T, Soininen M, Aronen E, Alku P, Näätänen R. Event-related potentials associated with sound discrimination versus novelty detection in children. Psychophysiology 2004; 41:130-41. [PMID: 14693008 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8986.2003.00138.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In children, deviant sounds in an oddball paradigm elicit a mismatch negativity (MMN) indexing discrimination of sound change and late difference negativity (LDN) with unknown functional significance. Salient sounds elicit an ERP index if orienting, P3a, and a late negative component, Nc. We compared children's responses elicited by moderate sound changes and novel sounds to examine the relationships between MMN and LDN, and LDN and Nc. Two components of the Nc, the Nc1 and Nc2, were identified. The scalp topography of LDN differed from those of the MMN and Nc1. Children's early P3a appeared mature but late P3a lacked frontal predominance. The findings suggested that LDN is not linked with either the sensory or attentional processing. It might reflect cognitive, albeit preattentive, processing of sound change. The Nc1 appears to reflect cognitive attentive processing of salient stimuli and the Nc2 might reflect reorienting after distraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Ceponiene
- Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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Schul R, Stiles J, Wulfeck B, Townsend J. How ‘generalized’ is the ‘slowed processing’ in SLI? The case of visuospatial attentional orienting. Neuropsychologia 2004; 42:661-71. [PMID: 14725803 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2003.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The study was designed to assess the speed and efficiency of visuospatial attentional orienting and the speed of visual processing and motor response in school-age children diagnosed with specific language impairment (SLI). Fifteen participants with SLI (7-15 years old) and their gender- and age-matched normally developing peers performed two formats of a simple visual discrimination task, one requiring the use of attentional orienting for accurate performance, and the other not requiring shifts of attention. The SLI group was characterized by (a) slower visual processing, and (b) slower motor response, but (c) similar attentional orienting speed, relative to the control group. The results are discussed in relation to the 'generalized slowing hypothesis' in SLI and the neural underpinning of visuospatial attentional orienting and SLI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rina Schul
- SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, Rina Schul, Department of Cognitive Science (Stiles Lab), University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive, 92093-0515, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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Stiles J, Moses P, Passarotti A, Dick F, Buxton R. Exploring Developmental Change in the Neural Bases of Higher Cognitive Functions: The Promise of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Dev Neuropsychol 2003. [DOI: 10.1207/s15326942dn242&3_07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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