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Echeverria-Altuna I, Nobre AC, Boettcher SEP. Goal-Dependent Use of Temporal Regularities to Orient Attention under Spatial and Action Uncertainty. J Cogn 2024; 7:37. [PMID: 38681819 PMCID: PMC11049616 DOI: 10.5334/joc.360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The temporal regularities in our environments support the proactive dynamic anticipation of relevant events. In visual attention, one important outstanding question is whether temporal predictions must be linked to predictions about spatial locations or motor plans to facilitate behaviour. To test this, we developed a task for manipulating temporal expectations and task relevance of visual stimuli appearing within rapidly presented streams, while stimulus location and responding hand remained uncertain. Differently coloured stimuli appeared in one of two concurrent (left and right) streams with distinct temporal probability structures. Targets were defined by colour on a trial-by-trial basis and appeared equiprobably in either stream, requiring a localisation response. Across two experiments, participants were faster and more accurate at detecting temporally predictable targets compared to temporally unpredictable targets. We conclude that temporal expectations learned incidentally from temporal regularities can be called upon flexibly in a goal-driven manner to guide behaviour. Moreover, we show that visual temporal attention can facilitate performance in the absence of concomitant spatial or motor expectations in dynamically unfolding contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Echeverria-Altuna
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna C. Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, United States of America
| | - Sage E. P. Boettcher
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, United States of America
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2
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Nobre AC, van Ede F. Attention in flux. Neuron 2023; 111:971-986. [PMID: 37023719 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
Selective attention comprises essential infrastructural functions supporting cognition-anticipating, prioritizing, selecting, routing, integrating, and preparing signals to guide adaptive behavior. Most studies have examined its consequences, systems, and mechanisms in a static way, but attention is at the confluence of multiple sources of flux. The world advances, we operate within it, our minds change, and all resulting signals progress through multiple pathways within the dynamic networks of our brains. Our aim in this review is to raise awareness of and interest in three important facets of how timing impacts our understanding of attention. These include the challenges posed to attention by the timing of neural processing and psychological functions, the opportunities conferred to attention by various temporal structures in the environment, and how tracking the time courses of neural and behavioral modulations with continuous measures yields surprising insights into the workings and principles of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Freek van Ede
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1081BT, the Netherlands.
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3
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Foldal MD, Leske S, Blenkmann AO, Endestad T, Solbakk AK. Attentional modulation of beta-power aligns with the timing of behaviorally relevant rhythmic sounds. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:1876-1894. [PMID: 35639957 PMCID: PMC9977362 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It is largely unknown how attention adapts to the timing of acoustic stimuli. To address this, we investigated how hemispheric lateralization of alpha (7-13 Hz) and beta (14-24 Hz) oscillations, reflecting voluntary allocation of auditory spatial attention, is influenced by tempo and predictability of sounds. We recorded electroencephalography while healthy adults listened to rhythmic sound streams with different tempos that were presented dichotically to separate ears, thus permitting manipulation of spatial-temporal attention. Participants responded to stimulus-onset-asynchrony (SOA) deviants (-90 ms) for given tones in the attended rhythm. Rhythm predictability was controlled via the probability of SOA deviants per block. First, the results revealed hemispheric lateralization of beta-power according to attention direction, reflected as ipsilateral enhancement and contralateral suppression, which was amplified in high- relative to low-predictability conditions. Second, fluctuations in the time-resolved beta-lateralization aligned more strongly with the attended than the unattended tempo. Finally, a trend-level association was found between the degree of beta-lateralization and improved ability to distinguish between SOA-deviants in the attended versus unattended ear. Differently from previous studies, we presented continuous rhythms in which task-relevant and irrelevant stimuli had different tempo, thereby demonstrating that temporal alignment of beta-lateralization with attended sounds reflects top-down attention to sound timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja D Foldal
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Sabine Leske
- RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,Department of Musicology, University of Oslo, Sem Sælands vei 2, 0371 Oslo, Norway
| | - Alejandro O Blenkmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway
| | - Tor Endestad
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, Skjervengan 17, 8657 Mosjøen, Norway
| | - Anne-Kristin Solbakk
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,RITMO Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies in Rhythm, Time and Motion, University of Oslo, Forskningsveien 3A, 0373 Oslo, Norway.,Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, Skjervengan 17, 8657 Mosjøen, Norway.,Department of Neurosurgery, Oslo University Hospital, Sognsvannsveien 20, 0372 Oslo, Norway
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4
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Lum JAG, Clark GM, Barhoun P, Hill AT, Hyde C, Wilson PH. Neural basis of implicit motor sequence learning: Modulation of cortical power. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14179. [PMID: 36087042 PMCID: PMC10078012 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14179] [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: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 08/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Implicit sequence learning describes the acquisition of serially ordered movements and sequentially structured cognitive information, that occurs without awareness. Theta, alpha and beta cortical oscillations are present during implicit motor sequence learning, but their role in this process is unclear. The current study addressed this gap in the literature. A total of 50 healthy adults aged between 19 and 37 years participated in the study. Implicit motor sequence learning was examined using the Serial Reaction Time task where participants unknowingly repeat a sequence of finger movements in response to a visual stimulus. Sequence learning was examined by comparing reaction times and oscillatory power between sequence trials and a set of control trials comprising random stimulus presentations. Electroencephalography was recorded as participants completed the task. Analyses of the behavioral data revealed participants learnt the sequence. Analyses of oscillatory activity, using permutation testing, revealed sequence learning was associated with a decrease in theta band (4-7 Hz) power recorded over frontal and central electrode sites. Sequence learning effects were not observed in the alpha (7-12 Hz) or beta bands (12-20 Hz). Even though alpha and beta power modulations have long been associated with executing a motor response, it seems theta power is a correlate of sequence learning in the manual domain. Theta power modulations on the serial reaction time task may reflect disengagement of attentional resources, either promoting or occurring as a consequence of implicit motor sequence learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarrad A G Lum
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Gillian M Clark
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pamela Barhoun
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aron T Hill
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- School of Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Peter H Wilson
- School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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5
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Szewczyk M, Augustynowicz P, Szubielska M. Implicit spatial sequential learning facilitates attentional selection in covert visual search. An event-related potentials study. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:974791. [DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.974791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
IntroductionWhile most studies on implicit sequential learning focus on object learning, the hidden structure of target location and onset time can also be a subject of implicitly gathered knowledge. In our study, we wanted to investigate the effect of implicitly learned spatial and temporal sequential predictability on performance in a localization task in a paradigm in which covert selective attention is engaged. We were also interested in the neural mechanism of the facilitating effect of the predictable spatio-temporal context on visual search processes. Specifically, with the use of an event-related potential technique, we wanted to verify whether perceptual, attentional, and motor processes can be enhanced by the predictive spatio-temporal context of visual stimuli.MethodsWe analyzed data from 15 young, healthy adults who took part in an experimental electroencephalographic (EEG) study and performed a visual search localization task. Predictable sequences of four target locations and/or target onset times were presented in separate blocks of trials that formed the Space, Space- Time, and Time conditions. One block of trials with randomly presented stimuli served as a control condition.ResultsThe behavioral results revealed that participants successfully learned only the spatial dimension of target predictability. Although spatial predictability was a response-relevant dimension, we found that attentional selection–instead of motor preparation–was the facilitation mechanism in this type of visual search task. This was manifested by a shorter latency and more negative amplitude of the N2pc component and the lack of an effect on the sLRP component. We observed no effect of predictability on perceptual processing (P1 component).DiscussionWe discuss these results with reference to the current knowledge on sequential learning. Our findings also contribute to the current debate on the predictive coding theory.
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6
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Vékony T, Pleche C, Pesthy O, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Speed and accuracy instructions affect two aspects of skill learning differently. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2022; 7:27. [PMID: 36273000 PMCID: PMC9588023 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-022-00144-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Procedural learning is key to optimal skill learning and is essential for functioning in everyday life. The findings of previous studies are contradictory regarding whether procedural learning can be modified by prioritizing speed or accuracy during learning. The conflicting results may be due to the fact that procedural learning is a multifaceted cognitive function. The purpose of our study is to determine whether and how speed and accuracy instructions affect two aspects of procedural learning: the learning of probability-based and serial-order-based regularities. Two groups of healthy individuals were instructed to practice on a cued probabilistic sequence learning task: one group focused on being fast and the other on being accurate during the learning phase. The speed instruction resulted in enhanced expression of probability-based but not serial-order-based knowledge. After a retention period, we instructed the participants to focus on speed and accuracy equally, and we tested their acquired knowledge. The acquired knowledge was comparable between groups in both types of learning. These findings suggest that different aspects of procedural learning can be affected differently by instructions. However, only momentary performance might be boosted by speed instruction; the acquired knowledge remains intact. In addition, as the accuracy instruction resulted in accuracy near ceiling level, the results illustrate that response errors are not needed for humans to learn in the procedural domain and draw attention to the fact that different instructions can separate competence from performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodóra Vékony
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Claire Pleche
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
- Département d'Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, Université PSL, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Orsolya Pesthy
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Centre of Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, UK
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Brain, Memory and Language Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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7
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Breska A, Ivry RB. Context-specific control over the neural dynamics of temporal attention by the human cerebellum. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/49/eabb1141. [PMID: 33268365 PMCID: PMC7821877 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb1141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Physiological methods have identified a number of signatures of temporal prediction, a core component of attention. While the underlying neural dynamics have been linked to activity within cortico-striatal networks, recent work has shown that the behavioral benefits of temporal prediction rely on the cerebellum. Here, we examine the involvement of the human cerebellum in the generation and/or temporal adjustment of anticipatory neural dynamics, measuring scalp electroencephalography in individuals with cerebellar degeneration. When the temporal prediction relied on an interval representation, duration-dependent adjustments were impaired in the cerebellar group compared to matched controls. This impairment was evident in ramping activity, beta-band power, and phase locking of delta-band activity. These same neural adjustments were preserved when the prediction relied on a rhythmic stream. Thus, the cerebellum has a context-specific causal role in the adjustment of anticipatory neural dynamics of temporal prediction, providing the requisite modulation to optimize behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Breska
- Department of Psychology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Richard B Ivry
- Department of Psychology and Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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8
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Zickerick B, Kobald SO, Thönes S, Küper K, Wascher E, Schneider D. Don't stop me now: Hampered retrieval of action plans following interruptions. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13725. [PMID: 33226663 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
How can we retrieve action plans in working memory (WM) after being distracted or interrupted? The present EEG study investigated this question using a WM task in which a random sequence of single numbers (1-4 and 6-9) was presented. In a given trial, participants had to decide whether the number presented in the preceding trial was odd or even. Additionally, interfering stimuli were randomly presented in 25% of all trials, requiring the participants to either ignore a colored number (distraction) or respond to it (interruption) while maintaining the previously formed action plan in WM. Our results revealed a detrimental impact of interruptions on WM performance in trials after interrupting stimuli compared to trials without a preceding interference. This was reflected in decreased task accuracy and reduced stimulus- and response-locked P3b amplitudes potentially indicating a hampered reactivation of stimulus-response links. Moreover, decreased contralateral mu suppression prior to a given response highlighted an impaired response preparation following interruptions. Distractions, on the other hand, did not negatively affect task performance but were followed by faster responses in subsequent trials compared to trials without prior interference. This result pattern was supported by stronger contralateral mu suppression indicating a facilitated response preparation. Overall, these results suggest that action representations in WM are resistant to distractions but do suffer from interruptions that disrupt or interfere with their implementation. We thus propose that the possibility of adequately preparing for an upcoming response is essential for behavioral guidance in the presence of external interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Zickerick
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - S Oliver Kobald
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Sven Thönes
- Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Kristina Küper
- Bundeswehr Institute for Preventive Medicine, Koblenz, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Daniel Schneider
- Department of Ergonomics, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
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9
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Jin W, Nobre AC, van Ede F. Temporal Expectations Prepare Visual Working Memory for Behavior. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 32:2320-2332. [PMID: 32897120 PMCID: PMC8357348 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Working memory enables us to retain past sensations in service of anticipated task demands. How we prepare for anticipated task demands during working memory retention remains poorly understood. Here, we focused on the role of time—asking how temporal expectations help prepare for ensuing memory-guided behavior. We manipulated the expected probe time in a delayed change-detection task and report that temporal expectation can have a profound influence on memory-guided behavioral performance. EEG measurements corroborated the utilization of temporal expectations: demonstrating the involvement of a classic EEG signature of temporal expectation—the contingent negative variation—in the context of working memory. We also report the influence of temporal expectations on 2 EEG signatures associated with visual working memory—the lateralization of 8- to 12-Hz alpha activity, and the contralateral delay activity. We observed a dissociation between these signatures, whereby alpha lateralization (but not the contralateral delay activity) adapted to the time of expected memory utilization. These data show how temporal expectations prepare visual working memory for behavior and shed new light on the electrophysiological markers of both temporal expectation and working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Jin
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging.,University of Oxford
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging.,University of Oxford
| | - Freek van Ede
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging.,Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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10
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Purpose-Dependent Consequences of Temporal Expectations Serving Perception and Action. J Neurosci 2020; 40:7877-7886. [PMID: 32900836 PMCID: PMC7548698 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1134-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2020] [Revised: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Temporal expectations enable anticipatory brain states that prepare us for upcoming perception and action. We investigated the purpose-dependent nature and consequences of cued temporal expectations on brain and behavior in male and female human volunteers, using two matched visual-motor tasks that stressed either response speed or visual accuracy. We show that the consequences of temporal expectations are fundamentally purpose dependent. Temporal expectations predominantly affected response times when visual demands were low and speed was more important, but perceptual accuracy when visual demands were more challenging. Using magnetoencephalography, we further show how temporal expectations latch onto anticipatory neural states associated with concurrent spatial expectations—modulating task-specific anticipatory neural lateralization of oscillatory brain activity in a modality- and frequency-specific manner. By relating these brain states to behavior, we finally reveal how the behavioral relevance of such anticipatory brain states is similarly purpose dependent. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Knowing when events may occur helps to prepare neural activity for upcoming perception and action. It is becoming increasingly clear that distinct sources of temporal expectations may facilitate performance via distinct mechanisms. Another relevant dimension to consider regards the distinct purposes that temporal expectations may serve. Here, we demonstrate that the consequences of temporal expectations on neurophysiological brain activity and behavior are fundamentally purpose dependent, and show how temporal expectations interact with task-relevant neural states in a modality- and frequency-specific manner. This brings the important insight that the ways in which temporal expectations influence brain and behavior, and how brain activity is related to behavior, are not fixed properties but rather depend on the task at hand.
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11
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Vékony T, Marossy H, Must A, Vécsei L, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. Speed or Accuracy Instructions During Skill Learning do not Affect the Acquired Knowledge. Cereb Cortex Commun 2020; 1:tgaa041. [PMID: 34296110 PMCID: PMC8152873 DOI: 10.1093/texcom/tgaa041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A crucial question in skill learning research is how instruction affects the performance or the underlying representations. Little is known about the effects of instructions on one critical aspect of skill learning, namely, picking-up statistical regularities. More specifically, the present study tests how prelearning speed or accuracy instructions affect the acquisition of non-adjacent second-order dependencies. We trained 2 groups of participants on an implicit probabilistic sequence learning task: one group focused on being fast and the other on being accurate. As expected, we detected a strong instruction effect: accuracy instruction resulted in a nearly errorless performance, and speed instruction caused short reaction times (RTs). Despite the differences in the average RTs and accuracy scores, we found a similar level of statistical learning performance in the training phase. After the training phase, we tested the 2 groups under the same instruction (focusing on both speed and accuracy), and they showed comparable performance, suggesting a similar level of underlying statistical representations. Our findings support that skill learning can result in robust representations, and they highlight that this form of knowledge may appear with almost errorless performance. Moreover, multiple sessions with different instructions enabled the separation of competence from performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodóra Vékony
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Hanna Marossy
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anita Must
- Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, 6722 Szeged, Hungary
| | - László Vécsei
- Department of Neurology, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, 1064 Budapest, Hungary
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12
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Schneider D, Zickerick B, Thönes S, Wascher E. Encoding, storage, and response preparation-Distinct EEG correlates of stimulus and action representations in working memory. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13577. [PMID: 32259293 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Revised: 03/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) allows for the active storage of stimulus- and higher level representations, such as action plans. This electroencephalography (EEG) study investigated the specific electrophysiological correlates dissociating action-related from stimulus-related representations in WM using three different experimental conditions based on the same stimulus material. In the experiment, a random sequence of single numbers (from 1 to 6) was presented and participants had to indicate whether the current number (N0 condition), the preceding number (N-1 condition), or the sum of the current and the preceding number (S-1 condition) was odd or even. Accordingly, participants had to store a stimulus representation in S-1 and an action representation in N-1 until the onset of the next stimulus. In the EEG, the storage of stimulus representations (S-1) was reflected by a fronto-central slow wave indicating the rehearsal of information that was required for the response in the following trial. In contrast, the storage of action representations (N-1) went along with a posterior positive slow wave, suggesting that the action plan was actively stored in WM until the presentation of the next stimulus. Crucially, preparing for the next response in N-1 was associated with increased contralateral mu/beta suppression, predicting the response time in the given trial. Our findings, thus, show that the WM processes for stimulus- and action representations can be clearly dissociated from each other with a distinct sequence of EEG correlates for encoding, storage, and response preparation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schneider
- IfADo-Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Bianca Zickerick
- IfADo-Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Sven Thönes
- IfADo-Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany.,Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Edmund Wascher
- IfADo-Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors, Dortmund, Germany
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13
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Greeley B, Barnhoorn JS, Verwey WB, Seidler RD. Multi-session Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Over Primary Motor Cortex Facilitates Sequence Learning, Chunking, and One Year Retention. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:75. [PMID: 32226370 PMCID: PMC7080980 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex (M1) can facilitate motor learning, but it has not been established how stimulation to other brain regions impacts online and offline motor sequence learning, as well as long-term retention. Here, we completed three experiments comparing the effects of tDCS and sham stimulation to the prefrontal cortex (PFC), M1, and the supplementary motor area complex to understand the contributions of these brain regions to motor sequence learning. In Experiment 1, we found that both left and right PFC tDCS groups displayed a slowing in learning in both reaction time and number of chunks, whereas stimulation over M1 improved both metrics over the course of three sessions. To better understand the sequence learning impairment of left PFC anodal stimulation, we tested a left PFC cathodal tDCS group in Experiment 2. The cathodal group demonstrated learning impairments similar to the left PFC anodal stimulation group. In Experiment 3, a subset of participants from the left PFC, M1, and sham tDCS groups of Experiment 1 returned to complete a single session without tDCS on the same sequences assigned to them 1 year previously. We found that the M1 tDCS group reduced reaction time at a faster rate relative to the sham and left PFC groups, demonstrating faster relearning after a one-year delay. Thus, our findings suggest that, regardless of the polarity of stimulation, tDCS to PFC impairs sequence learning, whereas stimulation to M1 facilitates learning and relearning, especially in terms of chunk formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Greeley
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jonathan S Barnhoorn
- Department of Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Willem B Verwey
- Department of Cognitive Psychology and Ergonomics, University of Twente, Enschede, Netherlands
| | - Rachael D Seidler
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States.,Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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Mazaheri A, Slagter HA, Thut G, Foxe JJ. Orchestration of brain oscillations: principles and functions. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 48:2385-2388. [PMID: 30276895 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Mazaheri
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Heleen A Slagter
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gregor Thut
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - John J Foxe
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
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Nobre AC, Stokes MG. Premembering Experience: A Hierarchy of Time-Scales for Proactive Attention. Neuron 2019; 104:132-146. [PMID: 31600510 PMCID: PMC6873797 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Memories are about the past, but they serve the future. Memory research often emphasizes the former aspect: focusing on the functions that re-constitute (re-member) experience and elucidating the various types of memories and their interrelations, timescales, and neural bases. Here we highlight the prospective nature of memory in guiding selective attention, focusing on functions that use previous experience to anticipate the relevant events about to unfold-to "premember" experience. Memories of various types and timescales play a fundamental role in guiding perception and performance adaptively, proactively, and dynamically. Consonant with this perspective, memories are often recorded according to expected future demands. Using working memory as an example, we consider how mnemonic content is selected and represented for future use. This perspective moves away from the traditional representational account of memory toward a functional account in which forward-looking memory traces are informationally and computationally tuned for interacting with incoming sensory signals to guide adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Mark G Stokes
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Shalev N, Bauer AKR, Nobre AC. The tempos of performance. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 29:254-260. [PMID: 31302478 PMCID: PMC6996131 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Human performance fluctuates over time. Rather than random, the complex time course of variation reflects, among other factors, influences from regular periodic processes operating at multiple time scales. In this review, we consider evidence for how our performance ebbs and flows over fractions of seconds as we engage with sensory objects, over minutes as we perform tasks, and over hours according to homeostatic factors. We propose that rhythms of performance at these multiple tempos arise from the interplay among three sources of influence: intrinsic fluctuations in brain activity, periodicity of external stimulation, and the anticipation of the temporal structure of external stimulation by the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nir Shalev
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, and Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Anna-Katharina R Bauer
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, and Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Department of Psychiatry, and Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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Helmreich DL. Profiles of women in science: Kia Nobre, Head of Department of Experimental Psychology, Chair in Translational Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford UK. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 50:3089-3093. [PMID: 31108014 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 05/16/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dana L Helmreich
- The Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience, Department of Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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18
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Heideman SG, Rohenkohl G, Chauvin JJ, Palmer CE, van Ede F, Nobre AC. Anticipatory neural dynamics of spatial-temporal orienting of attention in younger and older adults. Neuroimage 2018; 178:46-56. [PMID: 29733953 PMCID: PMC6057272 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2017] [Revised: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial and temporal expectations act synergistically to facilitate visual perception. In the current study, we sought to investigate the anticipatory oscillatory markers of combined spatial-temporal orienting and to test whether these decline with ageing. We examined anticipatory neural dynamics associated with joint spatial-temporal orienting of attention using magnetoencephalography (MEG) in both younger and older adults. Participants performed a cued covert spatial-temporal orienting task requiring the discrimination of a visual target. Cues indicated both where and when targets would appear. In both age groups, valid spatial-temporal cues significantly enhanced perceptual sensitivity and reduced reaction times. In the MEG data, the main effect of spatial orienting was the lateralised anticipatory modulation of posterior alpha and beta oscillations. In contrast to previous reports, this modulation was not attenuated in older adults; instead it was even more pronounced. The main effect of temporal orienting was a bilateral suppression of posterior alpha and beta oscillations. This effect was restricted to younger adults. Our results also revealed a striking interaction between anticipatory spatial and temporal orienting in the gamma-band (60-75 Hz). When considering both age groups separately, this effect was only clearly evident and only survived statistical evaluation in the older adults. Together, these observations provide several new insights into the neural dynamics supporting separate as well as combined effects of spatial and temporal orienting of attention, and suggest that different neural dynamics associated with attentional orienting appear differentially sensitive to ageing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone G Heideman
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Gustavo Rohenkohl
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Joshua J Chauvin
- Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Clare E Palmer
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Freek van Ede
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Anna C Nobre
- Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, UK; Brain and Cognition Lab, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, UK.
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