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Verwey WB. C-SMB 2.0: Integrating over 25 years of motor sequencing research with the Discrete Sequence Production task. Psychon Bull Rev 2024; 31:931-978. [PMID: 37848660 PMCID: PMC11192694 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02377-0] [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] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
An exhaustive review is reported of over 25 years of research with the Discrete Sequence Production (DSP) task as reported in well over 100 articles. In line with the increasing call for theory development, this culminates into proposing the second version of the Cognitive framework of Sequential Motor Behavior (C-SMB 2.0), which brings together known models from cognitive psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and motor learning. This processing framework accounts for the many different behavioral results obtained with the DSP task and unveils important properties of the cognitive system. C-SMB 2.0 assumes that a versatile central processor (CP) develops multimodal, central-symbolic representations of short motor segments by repeatedly storing the elements of these segments in short-term memory (STM). Independently, the repeated processing by modality-specific perceptual and motor processors (PPs and MPs) and by the CP when executing sequences gradually associates successively used representations at each processing level. The high dependency of these representations on active context information allows for the rapid serial activation of the sequence elements as well as for the executive control of tasks as a whole. Speculations are eventually offered as to how the various cognitive processes could plausibly find their neural underpinnings within the intricate networks of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem B Verwey
- Department of Learning, Data-Analytics and Technology, Section Cognition, Data and Education, Faculty of Behavioral, Management and Social sciences, University of Twente, PO Box 217, 7500 AE, Enschede, the Netherlands.
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2
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Naccache L, Munoz-Musat E. A global neuronal workspace model of functional neurological disorders. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 26:1-23. [PMID: 38767966 PMCID: PMC11107854 DOI: 10.1080/19585969.2024.2340131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
We introduce here a general model of Functional Neurological Disorders based on the following hypothesis: a Functional Neurological Disorder could correspond to a consciously initiated voluntary top-down process causing involuntary lasting consequences that are consciously experienced and subjectively interpreted by the patient as involuntary. We develop this central hypothesis according to Global Neuronal Workspace theory of consciousness, that is particularly suited to describe interactions between conscious and non-conscious cognitive processes. We then present a list of predictions defining a research program aimed at empirically testing their validity. Finally, this general model leads us to reinterpret the long-debated links between hypnotic suggestion and functional neurological disorders. Driven by both scientific and therapeutic goals, this theoretical paper aims at bringing closer the psychiatric and neurological worlds of functional neurological disorders with the latest developments of cognitive neuroscience of consciousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lionel Naccache
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
- Department of Neurology, AP-HP, Hôpital Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, DMU Neurosciences, Paris, France
- Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, AP-HP, Hôpital Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, DMU Neurosciences, Paris, France
| | - Esteban Munoz-Musat
- Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute - ICM, Inserm, CNRS, Paris, France- Sorbonne Université, UPMC Univ Paris 06, Faculté de Médecine Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
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3
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Logan GD, Lilburn SD, Ulrich JE. Serial attention to serial memory: The psychological refractory period in forward and backward cued recall. Cogn Psychol 2023; 145:101583. [PMID: 37429216 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2023.101583] [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: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
Guided by the conjecture that memory retrieval is attention turned inward, we examined serial attention in serial memory, combining the psychological refractory period (PRP) procedure from attention research with cued recall of two items from brief six-item lists. We report six experiments showing robust PRP effects in cued recall from memory (1-4) and cued report from perceptual displays (5-6), which suggest that memory retrieval requires the same attentional bottleneck as "retrieval" from perception. There were strong direction effects in each memory experiment. Response time (RT) was shorter and accuracy was higher when the cues occurred in the forward direction (left-to-right, top-to-bottom, first-to-last), replicating differences between forward and backward serial recall. Cue positions had strong effects on RT and accuracy in the memory experiments (1-4). The pattern suggested that subjects find cued items in memory by stepping through the list from the beginning or the end, with a preference for starting at the beginning. The perceptual experiments (5-6) showed weak effects of position that were more consistent with direct access. In all experiments, the distance between the cues in the list (lag) had weak effects, suggesting that subjects searched for each cue from the beginning or end of the list more often than they moved through the list from the first cue to the second. Direction, distance, and lag effects on RT and inter-response interval changed with SOA in a manner that suggested they affect bottleneck or pre-bottleneck processes that create and execute a plan for successive retrievals. We conclude that sequential retrieval from memory and sequential attention to perception engage the same computations and we show how computational models of memory can be interpreted as models of attention focused on memory.
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4
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Wang Q, Yang Y, Wang K, Shen L, Chen Q. Fate of the second task in dual-task interference is associated with sensory system interactions with default-mode network. Cortex 2023; 166:154-171. [PMID: 37385005 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.05.011] [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: 10/01/2022] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Psychological refractory period (PRP) effect refers to the delay in responding to the second of two tasks occurring in rapid succession. While all the major models of PRP highlight the importance of the frontoparietal control network (FPCN) in prioritizing the neural processing of the first task, the fate of the second task remains poorly understood. Here, we provide novel neural evidence on how the functional connectivity between sensory systems and the default-mode network (DMN) suspends the neural processing of the second task to ensure the efficient completion of the first task in dual-task situation. In a cross-modal PRP paradigm, a visual task could either precede or follow an auditory task. The DMN was generally deactivated during task performance and selectively coupled with the sensory system underlying the second task subjected to the PRP effect. Specifically, the DMN showed neural coupling with the auditory system when the auditory task came after the visual task, and with the visual system vice versa. More critically, the strength of the DMN-Sensory coupling correlated negatively with the size of the PRP effect: the stronger the coupling, the shorter the PRP. Therefore, rather than being detrimental to the dual-task performance, temporary suspension of the second task, via the DMN-Sensory coupling, surprisingly guaranteed the efficient completion of the first task by reducing the interference from the second task. Accordingly, the entry and processing of the second stimuli in the central executive system were speeded up as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qifei Wang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqian Yang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Ke Wang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Lu Shen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Qi Chen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
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5
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Aksiotis V, Myachykov A, Tumyalis A. Stop-signal delay reflects response selection duration in stop-signal task. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:1976-1989. [PMID: 37415061 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02752-y] [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] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
The stop-signal task (SST) is widely used for studying the speed of the latent process of response inhibition. The SST patterns are typically explained by a horse-race model (HRM) with supposed Go and Stop processes. However, HRM does not agree with the sequential-stage model of response control. As a result, the exact relationship between the response selection, the response execution stages, and the Stop process remains unclear. We propose that response selection occurs within the stop-signal delay (SSD) period, and that the competition between the Go and Stop processes occurs within the response execution period. To confirm this, we conducted two experiments. In Experiment 1, participants carried out a modified SST task with an additional stimulus category - Cued-Go. In the Cued-Go trials, cues were followed by imperative Go signals. The Cue-Go period duration was dynamically adjusted by an adaptive algorithm based on the response times reflecting the individual response selection duration. In Experiment 2, Cued-Go stimuli were followed by Stop Signals in half of the trials and response inhibition efficiency was calculated. The results of Experiment 1 indicate that SSD reflects the duration of the response selection process. The results of Experiment 2 show that this process has an independent and small effect on the effectiveness of controlled inhibition of the target response. Based on our findings, we propose a two-stage model of response inhibition in SST, with the first stage including response selection process and the second stage response inhibition following the SS presentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladislav Aksiotis
- Centre for Bioelectric Interfaces, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics, Krivokolenniy Pereulok 3, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation
| | - Andriy Myachykov
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
- Centre for Cognition and Decision making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Krivokolenniy Pereulok 3, Moscow, Russian Federation, 101000
| | - Alexey Tumyalis
- Centre for Bioelectric Interfaces, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics, Krivokolenniy Pereulok 3, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation.
- Laboratory of Medical Neurointerfaces and Artificial Intellect, Federal Center of Brain Research and Neurotechnologies of the Federal Medical Biological Agency, Ostrovityanova st. 1, bld. 10, Moscow, Russian Federation, 117513.
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6
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Cazettes F, Mazzucato L, Murakami M, Morais JP, Augusto E, Renart A, Mainen ZF. A reservoir of foraging decision variables in the mouse brain. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:840-849. [PMID: 37055628 PMCID: PMC10280691 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01305-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
In any given situation, the environment can be parsed in different ways to yield decision variables (DVs) defining strategies useful for different tasks. It is generally presumed that the brain only computes a single DV defining the current behavioral strategy. Here to test this assumption, we recorded neural ensembles in the frontal cortex of mice performing a foraging task admitting multiple DVs. Methods developed to uncover the currently employed DV revealed the use of multiple strategies and occasional switches in strategy within sessions. Optogenetic manipulations showed that the secondary motor cortex (M2) is needed for mice to use the different DVs in the task. Surprisingly, we found that regardless of which DV best explained the current behavior, M2 activity concurrently encoded a full basis set of computations defining a reservoir of DVs appropriate for alternative tasks. This form of neural multiplexing may confer considerable advantages for learning and adaptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Luca Mazzucato
- Departments of Biology, Mathematics & Physics, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Masayoshi Murakami
- Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
- Department of Neurophysiology, University of Yamanashi, Yamanashi, Japan
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7
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Roelfsema PR. Solving the binding problem: Assemblies form when neurons enhance their firing rate-they don't need to oscillate or synchronize. Neuron 2023; 111:1003-1019. [PMID: 37023707 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
When we look at an image, its features are represented in our visual system in a highly distributed manner, calling for a mechanism that binds them into coherent object representations. There have been different proposals for the neuronal mechanisms that can mediate binding. One hypothesis is that binding is achieved by oscillations that synchronize neurons representing features of the same perceptual object. This view allows separate communication channels between different brain areas. Another hypothesis is that binding of features that are represented in different brain regions occurs when the neurons in these areas that respond to the same object simultaneously enhance their firing rate, which would correspond to directing object-based attention to these features. This review summarizes evidence in favor of and against these two hypotheses, examining the neuronal correlates of binding and assessing the time course of perceptual grouping. I conclude that enhanced neuronal firing rates bind features into coherent object representations, whereas oscillations and synchrony are unrelated to binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter R Roelfsema
- Department of Vision & Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Integrative Neurophysiology, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Centre, Postbus 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Laboratory of Visual Brain Therapy, Sorbonne Université, INSERM, CNRS, Institut de la Vision, 17 rue Moreau, 75012 Paris, France.
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8
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Knowledge generalization and the costs of multitasking. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:98-112. [PMID: 36347942 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-022-00653-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Humans are able to rapidly perform novel tasks, but show pervasive performance costs when attempting to do two things at once. Traditionally, empirical and theoretical investigations into the sources of such multitasking interference have largely focused on multitasking in isolation to other cognitive functions, characterizing the conditions that give rise to performance decrements. Here we instead ask whether multitasking costs are linked to the system's capacity for knowledge generalization, as is required to perform novel tasks. We show how interrogation of the neurophysiological circuitry underlying these two facets of cognition yields further insights for both. Specifically, we demonstrate how a system that rapidly generalizes knowledge may induce multitasking costs owing to sharing of task contingencies between contexts in neural representations encoded in frontoparietal and striatal brain regions. We discuss neurophysiological insights suggesting that prolonged learning segregates such representations by refining the brain's model of task-relevant contingencies, thereby reducing information sharing between contexts and improving multitasking performance while reducing flexibility and generalization. These proposed neural mechanisms explain why the brain shows rapid task understanding, multitasking limitations and practice effects. In short, multitasking limits are the price we pay for behavioural flexibility.
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9
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The Construct Validity of Intellect and Openness as Distinct Aspects of Personality through Differential Associations with Reaction Time. J Intell 2023; 11:jintelligence11020030. [PMID: 36826928 PMCID: PMC9961456 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11020030] [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: 10/30/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The construct validity of group factor models of personality, which are typically derived from factor analysis of questionnaire items, relies on the ability of each factor to predict meaningful and differentiated real-world outcomes. In a sample of 481 participants, we used the Big Five Aspect Scales (BFAS) personality questionnaire, two laboratory-measured reaction time (RT) tasks, and a short-form test of cognitive ability (ICAR-16) to test the hypothesis that the Intellect and Openness aspects of Big Five Openness to Experience differentially correlate with reaction time moments. We found that higher scores on the Intellect aspect significantly correlate with faster and less variable response times, while no such association is observed for the Openness aspect. Further, we found that this advantage lies solely in the decisional, but not perceptual, stage of information processing; no other Big Five aspect showed a similar pattern of results. In sum, these findings represent the largest and most comprehensive study to date on personality factors and reaction time, and the first to demonstrate a mechanistic validation of BFAS Intellect through a differential pattern of associations with RT and Big Five personality aspects.
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10
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Soghoyan G, Aksiotis V, Rusinova A, Myachykov A, Tumyalis A. An adaptive paradigm for detecting the individual duration of the preparatory period in the choice reaction time task. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0273234. [PMID: 36083888 PMCID: PMC9462575 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0273234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the sequential stage model, the selection and the execution of a motor response are two distinct independent processes. Here, we propose a new adaptive paradigm for identifying the individual duration of the response preparatory period based on the motor reaction time (RT) data. The results are compared using the paradigm with constant values of the preparatory period. Two groups of participants performed on either an easy (Group 1) or a hard (Group 2) response selection task with two types of stimuli based on the preparatory period parameters: (1) stimuli with a constant preparatory period duration of 0 or 1200 ms and (2) stimuli with adaptive preparatory period durations. Our analysis showed an increase in the duration of the response selection process as a function of increasing task complexity when using both paradigms with constant and adaptive values of the preparatory period duration. We conclude that the adaptive paradigm proposed in the current paper has several important advantages over the constant paradigm in terms of measuring the response accuracy while being equally efficiently in capturing other critical response parameters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gurgen Soghoyan
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Vladislav Aksiotis
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Anna Rusinova
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Andriy Myachykov
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
- Center for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics University, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Alexey Tumyalis
- Center for Bioelectric Interfaces, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Higher School of Economics University, Moscow, Russian Federation
- * E-mail:
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11
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Szameitat AJ. Inter-Individual Differences in Executive Functions Predict Multitasking Performance - Implications for the Central Attentional Bottleneck. Front Psychol 2022; 13:778966. [PMID: 35645928 PMCID: PMC9131123 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.778966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human multitasking suffers from a central attentional bottleneck preventing parallel performance of central mental operations, leading to profound deferments in task performance. While previous research assumed that the deferment is caused by a mere waiting time (refractory period), we show that the bottleneck requires executive functions (EF; active scheduling account) accounting for a profound part of the deferment. Three participant groups with EF impairments (dyslexics, highly neurotics, deprived smokers) showed worse multitasking performance than respective control groups. Three further groups with EF improvements (video-gamers, bilinguals, coffee consumers) showed improved multitasking. Finally, three groups performed a dual-task and different measures of EF (reading span, rotation span, symmetry span) and showed significant correlations between multitasking performance and working memory capacity. Demands on EF during multitasking may cause more errors, mental fatigue and stress, with parts of the population being considerably more prone to this.
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Affiliation(s)
- André J. Szameitat
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience (CCN), Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
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12
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Farkas BC, Tóth-Fáber E, Janacsek K, Nemeth D. A Process-Oriented View of Procedural Memory Can Help Better Understand Tourette's Syndrome. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:683885. [PMID: 34955784 PMCID: PMC8707288 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.683885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Tourette's syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by repetitive movements and vocalizations, also known as tics. The phenomenology of tics and the underlying neurobiology of the disorder have suggested that the altered functioning of the procedural memory system might contribute to its etiology. However, contrary to the robust findings of impaired procedural memory in neurodevelopmental disorders of language, results from TS have been somewhat mixed. We review the previous studies in the field and note that they have reported normal, impaired, and even enhanced procedural performance. These mixed findings may be at least partially be explained by the diversity of the samples in both age and tic severity, the vast array of tasks used, the low sample sizes, and the possible confounding effects of other cognitive functions, such as executive functions, working memory or attention. However, we propose that another often overlooked factor could also contribute to the mixed findings, namely the multiprocess nature of the procedural system itself. We propose that a process-oriented view of procedural memory functions could serve as a theoretical framework to help integrate these varied findings. We discuss evidence suggesting heterogeneity in the neural regions and their functional contributions to procedural memory. Our process-oriented framework can help to deepen our understanding of the complex profile of procedural functioning in TS and atypical development in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bence Cs. Farkas
- LNC, Département d’Études Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, INSERM, PSL Research University, Paris, France
| | - Eszter Tóth-Fáber
- Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- 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
| | - Karolina Janacsek
- Institute of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Centre for Thinking and Learning, Institute for Lifecourse Development, School of Human Sciences, Faculty of Education, Health and Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
| | - Dezso Nemeth
- 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
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), INSERM U1028, CNRS UMR 5292, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
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13
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Otermans PCJ, Parton A, Szameitat AJ. The working memory costs of a central attentional bottleneck in multitasking. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:1774-1791. [PMID: 34751812 PMCID: PMC9363301 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01615-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
When two (or more) tasks, each requiring a rapid response, are performed at the same time then serial processing may occur at certain processing stages, such as the response selection. There is accumulating evidence that such serial processing involves additional control processes, such as inhibition, switching, and scheduling (termed the active scheduling account). The present study tested whether the existence of serial processing in multitasking leads to a requirement for processes that coordinate processing in this way (active scheduling account) and, furthermore, whether such control processes are linked to the executive functions (EF) of working memory (WM). To test this question, we merged the psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm with a WM task, creating a complex WM span task. Participants were presented with a sequence of letters to remember, followed by a processing block in which they had to perform either a single task or a dual task, and finally were asked to recall the letters. Results showed that WM performance, i.e. the amount of letters recalled in the correct order, decreased when performing a dual task as compared to performing a single task during the retention interval. Two further experiments supported this finding using manipulations of the dual task difficulty. We conclude that the existence of serial processing in multitasking demands additional control processes (active scheduling) and that these processes are strongly linked to the executive functions of working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauldy C J Otermans
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK.
| | - Andrew Parton
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Andre J Szameitat
- Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge, UB8 3PH, UK
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14
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Richards E, Tales A, Bayer A, Norris JE, Hanley CJ, Thornton IM. Reaction Time Decomposition as a Tool to Study Subcortical Ischemic Vascular Cognitive Impairment. J Alzheimers Dis Rep 2021; 5:625-636. [PMID: 34632300 PMCID: PMC8461746 DOI: 10.3233/adr-210029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The study of reaction time (RT) and its intraindividual variability (IIV) in aging, cognitive impairment, and dementia typically fails to investigate the processing stages that contribute to an overall response. Applying “mental chronometry” techniques makes it possible to separately assess the role of processing components during environmental interaction. Objective: To determine whether RT and IIV-decomposition techniques can shed light on the nature of underlying deficits in subcortical ischemic vascular cognitive impairment (VCI). Using a novel iPad task, we examined whether VCI deficits occur during both initiation and movement phases of a response, and whether they are equally reflected in both RT and IIV. Methods: Touch cancellation RT and its IIV were measured in a group of younger adults (n = 22), cognitively healthy older adults (n = 21), and patients with VCI (n = 21) using an iPad task. Results: Whereas cognitively healthy aging affected the speed (RT) of response initiation and movement but not its variability (IIV), VCI resulted in both slowed RT and increased IIV for both response phases. Furthermore, there were group differences with respect to response phase. Conclusion: These results indicate that IIV can be more sensitive than absolute RT in separating VCI from normal aging. Furthermore, compared to cognitively healthy aging, VCI was characterized by significant deficits in planning/initiating action as well as performing movements. Such deficits have important implications for real life actions such as driving safety, employment, and falls risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Richards
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Andrea Tales
- Centre for Innovative Ageing, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Antony Bayer
- Division of Population Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
| | - Jade E Norris
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Claire J Hanley
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Ian M Thornton
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of Malta, Malta
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15
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Neural mechanisms underlying the temporal control of sequential saccade planning in the frontal eye field. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2108922118. [PMID: 34599104 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2108922118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sequences of saccadic eye movements are instrumental in navigating our visual environment. While neural activity has been shown to ramp up to a threshold before single saccades, the neural underpinnings of multiple saccades is unknown. To understand the neural control of saccade sequences, we recorded from the frontal eye field (FEF) of macaque monkeys while they performed a sequential saccade task. We show that the concurrent planning of two saccade plans brings forth processing bottlenecks, specifically by decreasing the growth rate and increasing the threshold of saccade-related ramping activity. The rate disruption affected both saccade plans, and a computational model, wherein activity related to the two saccade plans mutually and asymmetrically inhibited each other, predicted the behavioral and neural results observed experimentally. Borrowing from models in psychology, our results demonstrate a capacity-sharing mechanism of processing bottlenecks, wherein multiple saccade plans in a sequence compete for the processing capacity by the perturbation of the saccade-related ramping activity. Finally, we show that, in contrast to movement-related neurons, visual activity in FEF neurons is not affected by the presence of multiple saccade targets, indicating that, for perceptually simple tasks, inhibition within movement-related neurons mainly instantiates capacity sharing. Taken together, we show how psychology-inspired models of capacity sharing can be mapped onto neural responses to understand the control of rapid saccade sequences.
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Deployment dynamics of hypnotic anger modulation. Conscious Cogn 2021; 91:103118. [PMID: 33770703 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2021.103118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
To understand the role that attention plays in the deployment timeline of hypnotic anger modulation, we composed an Attentional Blink paradigm where the first and second targets were faces, expressing neutral or angry emotions. We then suppressed the salience of angry faces through a "hypnotic numbing" suggestion. We found that hypnotic suggestion only attenuated the emotional salience of the second target (T2). By implementing drift-diffusion decision modelling, we also found that hypnotic suggestion mainly affected decision thresholds. These findings suggest that hypnotic numbing resulted from belated changes in response strategy. Interestingly, a contrast against non-hypnotized participants revealed that the numbing suggestion had the instruction-like feature of incorporating emotional valence into the attentional task-set. Together, our results portray hypnotic anger modulation as a two-tiered process: first, hypnotic suggestion alters the attentional task-set; second, provided processing and response preparation are not interrupted, a hypnotizability-dependent response based on said altered task-set is produced through late cognitive control strategies.
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The distance effect on discrimination ability and response bias during magnitude comparison in a go/no-go task. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 83:2052-2060. [PMID: 33759115 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02274-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The distance effect is the change in the performance during numerical magnitude comparison, depending on the numerical distance between the compared numbers (Moyer & Landauer, Nature, 215[5109], 1519-1520, 1967). This effect is generally accepted as evidence for the mental number line (MNL) hypothesis, which proposes that the mental representation of the numbers align in an increasing linear (or monotone) order. The majority of studies investigating the distance effect are focused on the reaction time (RT) findings, which show slower responses for closer numbers. In the present study, we examined the distance effect by applying signal detection theory (SDT) to a magnitude comparison task. We aimed to reveal whether discrimination ability and the response bias measures were affected by the location of numbers on the MNL. To accomplish this, we developed a magnitude comparison task using a go/no-go procedure in which participants performed a magnitude comparison based on a reference number (i.e., 5). Results revealed a substantial distance effect in both sensitivity and response bias measures-a better discrimination performance for far numbers, and a larger response bias for close numbers. In addition, an RT distribution analysis revealed that the distance effect seems to originate mainly from slower responses. Based on the current data, we suggest that sensitivity and response bias measures could offer comprehensive information in the understanding of number-based decisions.
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Kang YH, Löffler A, Jeurissen D, Zylberberg A, Wolpert DM, Shadlen MN. Multiple decisions about one object involve parallel sensory acquisition but time-multiplexed evidence incorporation. eLife 2021; 10:63721. [PMID: 33688829 PMCID: PMC8112870 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The brain is capable of processing several streams of information that bear on different aspects of the same problem. Here, we address the problem of making two decisions about one object, by studying difficult perceptual decisions about the color and motion of a dynamic random dot display. We find that the accuracy of one decision is unaffected by the difficulty of the other decision. However, the response times reveal that the two decisions do not form simultaneously. We show that both stimulus dimensions are acquired in parallel for the initial ∼0.1 s but are then incorporated serially in time-multiplexed bouts. Thus, there is a bottleneck that precludes updating more than one decision at a time, and a buffer that stores samples of evidence while access to the decision is blocked. We suggest that this bottleneck is responsible for the long timescales of many cognitive operations framed as decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yul Hr Kang
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Löffler
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Danique Jeurissen
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Ariel Zylberberg
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, United States
| | - Daniel M Wolpert
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States
| | - Michael N Shadlen
- Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Kavli Institute for Brain Science, Columbia University, New York, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, United States
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Abbas-Zadeh M, Hossein-Zadeh GA, Vaziri-Pashkam M. Dual-Task Interference in a Simulated Driving Environment: Serial or Parallel Processing? Front Psychol 2021; 11:579876. [PMID: 33584415 PMCID: PMC7873965 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.579876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When humans are required to perform two or more tasks concurrently, their performance declines as the tasks get closer together in time. Here, we investigated the mechanisms of this cognitive performance decline using a dual-task paradigm in a simulated driving environment, and using drift-diffusion modeling, examined if the two tasks are processed in a serial or a parallel manner. Participants performed a lane change task, along with an image discrimination task. We systematically varied the time difference between the onset of the two tasks (Stimulus Onset Asynchrony, SOA) and measured its effect on the amount of dual-task interference. Results showed that the reaction times (RTs) of the two tasks in the dual-task condition were higher than those in the single-task condition. SOA influenced the RTs of both tasks when they were presented second and the RTs of the image discrimination task when it was presented first. Results of drift-diffusion modeling indicated that dual-task performance affects both the rate of evidence accumulation and the delays outside the evidence accumulation period. These results suggest that a hybrid model containing features of both parallel and serial processing best accounts for the results. Next, manipulating the predictability of the order of the two tasks, we showed that in unpredictable conditions, the order of the response to the two tasks changes, causing attenuation in the effect of SOA. Together, our findings suggest higher-level executive functions are involved in managing the resources and controlling the processing of the tasks during dual-task performance in naturalistic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Abbas-Zadeh
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
| | - Gholam-Ali Hossein-Zadeh
- School of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Vaziri-Pashkam
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
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20
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Dotan D, Dehaene S. Parallel and serial processes in number-to-quantity conversion. Cognition 2020; 204:104387. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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21
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Effects of task probability on prioritized processing: Modulating the efficiency of parallel response selection. Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 83:356-388. [PMID: 33000438 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-020-02143-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Four experiments investigated the extent to which a limited pool of resources can be shared between different tasks performed simultaneously when it is efficient to do so. The experiments used a prioritized processing paradigm, in which stimuli for both a primary task and a background task were presented in each trial. If the primary-task stimulus required a response in a trial, participants made only that response. If the primary-task stimulus did not require a response, participants responded to the background task. The main manipulation was the relative probability that a response would be required to the primary versus background task. In some blocks, the majority of trials required responses to the primary task (Experiments 1 and 2: 80%; Experiments 3 and 4: 60%), whereas in other blocks the majority required responses to the background task. Background-task responses were substantially faster in blocks where they were more likely to be required, consistent with the idea that more capacity was allocated to them in these blocks. Backward compatibility effects on primary-task responses and stimulus-onset asynchrony effects on background-task responses provided further evidence of greater capacity allocation to the background task when there was a higher probability of responding to it. The results support the view that two tasks can be processed in parallel, with resources divided between them, when it is efficient to do so.
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Omer E, Elbaum T, Braw Y. Identifying Feigned Cognitive Impairment: Investigating the Utility of Diffusion Model Analyses. Assessment 2020; 29:198-208. [PMID: 32988242 DOI: 10.1177/1073191120962317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Forced-choice performance validity tests are routinely used for the detection of feigned cognitive impairment. The drift diffusion model deconstructs performance into distinct cognitive processes using accuracy and response time measures. It thereby offers a unique approach for gaining insight into examinees' speed-accuracy trade-offs and the cognitive processes that underlie their performance. The current study is the first to perform such analyses using a well-established forced-choice performance validity test. To achieve this aim, archival data of healthy participants, either simulating cognitive impairment in the Word Memory Test or performing it to the best of their ability, were analyzed using the EZ-diffusion model (N = 198). The groups differed in the three model parameters, with drift rate emerging as the best predictor of group membership. These findings provide initial evidence for the usefulness of the drift diffusion model in clarifying the cognitive processes underlying feigned cognitive impairment and encourage further research.
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Yoo SBM, Hayden BY. The Transition from Evaluation to Selection Involves Neural Subspace Reorganization in Core Reward Regions. Neuron 2020; 105:712-724.e4. [PMID: 31836322 PMCID: PMC7035164 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 10/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Economic choice proceeds from evaluation, in which we contemplate options, to selection, in which we weigh options and choose one. These stages must be differentiated so that decision makers do not proceed to selection before evaluation is complete. We examined responses of neurons in two core reward regions, orbitofrontal (OFC) and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), during two-option choice with asynchronous offer presentation. Our data suggest that neurons selective during the first (presumed evaluation) and second (presumed comparison and selection) offer epochs come from a single pool. Stage transition is accompanied by a shift toward orthogonality in the low-dimensional population response manifold. Nonetheless, the relative position of each option in driving responses in the population subspace is preserved. The orthogonalization we observe supports the hypothesis that the transition from evaluation to selection leads to reorganization of response subspace and suggests a mechanism by which value-related signals are prevented from prematurely driving choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seng Bum Michael Yoo
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Center for Neuroengineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Benjamin Y Hayden
- Department of Neuroscience, Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Center for Neuroengineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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25
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Dotan D, Pinheiro-Chagas P, Al Roumi F, Dehaene S. Track It to Crack It: Dissecting Processing Stages with Finger Tracking. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:1058-1070. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Carney J, Robertson C, Dávid-Barrett T. Fictional narrative as a variational Bayesian method for estimating social dispositions in large groups. JOURNAL OF MATHEMATICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 93:102279. [PMID: 31853151 PMCID: PMC6894341 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmp.2019.102279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Revised: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Modelling intentions in large groups is cognitively costly. Not alone must first order beliefs be tracked ('what does A think about X?'), but also beliefs about beliefs ('what does A think about B's belief concerning X?'). Thus linear increases in group size impose non-linear increases in cognitive processing resources. At the same time, however, large groups offer coordination advantages relative to smaller groups due to specialisation and increased productive capacity. How might these competing demands be reconciled? We propose that fictional narrative can be understood as a cultural tool for dealing with large groups. Specifically, we argue that prototypical action roles that are removed from real-world interactions function as interpretive priors in a form of variational Bayesian inference, such that they allow estimations can be made of unknown social motives. We offer support for this claim in two ways. Firstly, by evaluating the existing literature on narrative cognition and showing where it anticipates a variational model; and secondly, by simulation, where we show that an agent-based model naturally converges on a set of social categories that resemble narrative across a wide range of starting points.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Carney
- Brunel University London, Gaskell Building G29, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Cole Robertson
- Brunel University London, Gaskell Building G29, Kingston Lane, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
- Center for Language Studies, Radboud University, Netherlands
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6GG, UK
| | - Tamás Dávid-Barrett
- Universidad del Desarrollo, Facultad de Gobierno, CICS, Av. Plaza 680, Santiago de Chile, 7610658 Chile
- Trinity College, University of Oxford, OX1 3BH, Oxford, UK
- Population Research Institute, Väestöliitto, Kalevankatu 16, Helsinki 00101, Finland
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Basu D, Murthy A. Parallel programming of saccades in the macaque frontal eye field: are sequential motor plans coactivated? J Neurophysiol 2019; 123:107-119. [PMID: 31721632 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00545.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We use sequences of saccadic eye movements to continually explore our visual environments. Previous behavioral studies have established that saccades in a sequence may be programmed in parallel by the oculomotor system. In this study, we tested the neural correlates of parallel programming of saccade sequences in the frontal eye field (FEF), using single-unit electrophysiological recordings from macaques performing a sequential saccade task. It is known that FEF visual neurons instantiate target selection whereas FEF movement neurons undertake saccade preparation, where the activity corresponding to a saccade vector gradually ramps up. The question of whether FEF movement neurons are involved in concurrent processing of saccade plans is as yet unresolved. In the present study, we show that, when a peripheral target is foveated after a sequence of two saccades, presaccadic activity of FEF movement neurons for the second saccade can be activated while the first is still underway. Moreover, the onset of movement activity varied parametrically with the behaviorally measured time available for parallel programming. Although at central fixation coactivated FEF movement activity may vectorially encode the retinotopic location of the second target with respect to the fixation point or the remapped location of the second target, with respect to the first our evidence suggests the possibility of early encoding of the remapped second saccade vector. Taken together, the results indicate that movement neurons, although located terminally in the FEF visual-motor spectrum, can accomplish concurrent processing of multiple saccade plans, leading to rapid execution of saccade sequences.NEW & NOTEWORTHY The execution of purposeful sequences underlies much of goal-directed behavior. How different brain areas accomplish sequencing is poorly understood. Using a modified double-step task to generate a rapid sequence of two saccades, we demonstrate that downstream movement neurons in the frontal eye field (FEF), a prefrontal oculomotor area, allow for coactivation of the first and second movement plans that constitute the sequence. These results provide fundamental insights into the neural control of action sequencing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debaleena Basu
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Aditya Murthy
- Centre for Neuroscience, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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Sergent C. The offline stream of conscious representations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0349. [PMID: 30061463 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When do we become conscious of a stimulus after its presentation? We would all agree that this necessarily takes time and that it is not instantaneous. Here, I would like to propose not only that conscious access is delayed relative to the external stimulation, but also that it can flexibly desynchronize from external stimulation; it can process some information 'offline', if and when it becomes relevant. Thus, in contrast with initial sensory processing, conscious experience might not strictly follow the sequence of events in the environment. In this article, I will review gathering evidence in favour of this proposition. I will argue that it offers a coherent framework for explaining a great variety of observations in the domain of perception, sensory memory and working memory: the psychological refractory period, the attentional blink, post-dictive phenomena, iconic memory, latent working memory and the newly described retro-perception phenomenon. I will integrate this proposition to the global neuronal workspace model and consider possible underlying brain mechanisms. Finally, I will argue that this capacity to process information 'offline' might have made conscious processing evolutionarily advantageous in spite of its sluggishness and capacity limitations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Perceptual consciousness and cognitive access'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Sergent
- Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Université Paris Descartes, CNRS, 45, rue des Saints Pères, 75006 Paris, France
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Abstract
Even when speakers are not actively doing another task, they can be interfered in their speech planning by concurrent auditory stimuli. In this study, we used picture naming with passive hearing, or active listening, combined to high-density electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings to investigate the locus and origin of interference on speech production. Participants named pictures while ignoring (or paying attention to) auditory syllables presented at different intervals (+150 ms, +300 ms or +450 ms). Interference of passive hearing was observed at all positive stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA) including when distractors appeared 450 ms after picture onset. Analyses of ERPs and microstates revealed modulations appearing in a time-window close to verbal response onset likely relating to post-lexical planning processes. A shift of latency of the N1 auditory component for syllables displayed 450 ms after picture onset relative to hearing in isolation was also observed. Data from picture naming with active listening to auditory syllables also pointed to post-lexical interference. The present study suggests that, beyond the lexical stage, post-lexical processes can be interfered and that the reciprocal interference between utterance planning and hearing relies on attentional demand and possibly competing neural substrates.
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Abstract
Following the classical work of Moyer and Landauer (1967), experimental studies investigating the way in which humans process and compare symbolic numerical information regularly used one of two experimental designs. In selection tasks, two numbers are presented, and the task of the participant is to select (for example) the larger one. In classification tasks, a single number is presented, and the participant decides if it is smaller or larger than a predefined standard. Many findings obtained with these paradigms fit in well with the notion of a mental analog representation, or an Approximate Number System (ANS; e.g., Piazza 2010). The ANS is often conceptualized metaphorically as a mental number line, and data from both paradigms are well accounted for by diffusion models based on the stochastic accumulation of noisy partial numerical information over time. The present study investigated a categorization paradigm in which participants decided if a number presented falls into a numerically defined central category. We show that number categorization yields a highly regular, yet considerably more complex pattern of decision times and error rates as compared to the simple monotone relations obtained in traditional selection and classification tasks. We also show that (and how) standard diffusion models of number comparison can be adapted so as to account for mean and standard deviations of all RTs and for error rates in considerable quantitative detail. We conclude that just as traditional number comparison, the more complex process of categorizing numbers conforms well with basic notions of the ANS.
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Yao XQ, Yang YQ, Chen SY, Sun W, Chen Q. Visual Dominance Effect upon Passing the Central Bottleneck of Information Processing. Chin Med J (Engl) 2018; 131:1926-1935. [PMID: 30082523 PMCID: PMC6085859 DOI: 10.4103/0366-6999.238144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the classical psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm, two stimuli are presented in brief succession, and participants are asked to make separate speeded responses to both stimuli. Due to a central cognitive bottleneck, responses to the second stimulus are delayed, especially at short stimulus-onset asynchrony (SOA) between the two stimuli. Although the mechanisms of dual-task interference in the classical PRP paradigm have been extensively investigated, specific mechanisms underlying the cross-modal PRP paradigm are not well understood. In particular, it remains unknown whether the dominance of vision over audition manifests in the cross-modal PRP tasks. The present study aimed to investigate whether the visual dominance effect manifests in the cross-modal PRP paradigm. METHODS We adapted the classical PRP paradigm by manipulating the order of a visual and an auditory task: the visual task could either precede the auditory task or vice versa, at either short or long SOAs. Twenty-five healthy participants took part in Experiment 1, and thirty-three new participants took part in Experiment 2. Reaction time and accuracy data were calculated and further analyzed by repeated-measures analysis of variance. RESULTS The results showed that visual precedence in the Visual-Auditory condition caused larger impairments to the subsequent auditory processing than vice versa in the Auditory-Visual condition: a larger delay of second response was revealed in the Visual-Auditory condition (135 ± 10 ms) than the Auditory-Visual condition (88 ± 9 ms). This effect was found only at the short SOAs under the existence of the central bottleneck, but not at the long SOAs. Moreover, this effect occurred both when the single visual and the single auditory task were of equal difficulty in Experiment 1 and when the single auditory task was more difficult than the single visual task in Experiment 2. CONCLUSION Results of the two experiments suggested that the visual dominance effect occurred under the central bottleneck of cognitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing-Qi Yao
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Luhe Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Yu-Qian Yang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
| | - Shi-Yong Chen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
| | - Wei Sun
- Department of Neurology, Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 101149, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application and School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
- Department of Psychology, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510631, China
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Processing order in dual-task situations: The “first-come, first-served” principle and the impact of task order instructions. Atten Percept Psychophys 2018; 80:1785-1803. [DOI: 10.3758/s13414-018-1541-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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33
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Papegaaij S, Hortobágyi T, Godde B, Kaan WA, Erhard P, Voelcker-Rehage C. Neural correlates of motor-cognitive dual-tasking in young and old adults. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0189025. [PMID: 29220349 PMCID: PMC5722310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0189025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
When two tasks are performed simultaneously, performance often declines in one or both tasks. These so-called dual-task costs are more pronounced in old than in young adults. One proposed neurological mechanism of the dual-task costs is that old compared with young adults tend to execute single-tasks with higher brain activation. In the brain regions that are needed for both tasks, the reduced residual capacity may interfere with performance of the dual-task. This competition for shared brain regions has been called structural interference. The purpose of the study was to determine whether structural interference indeed plays a role in the age-related decrease in dual-task performance. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate 23 young adults (20–29 years) and 32 old adults (66–89 years) performing a calculation (serial subtraction by seven) and balance-simulation (plantar flexion force control) task separately or simultaneously. Behavioral performance decreased during the dual-task compared with the single-tasks in both age groups, with greater dual-task costs in old compared with young adults. Brain activation was significantly higher in old than young adults during all conditions. Region of interest analyses were performed on brain regions that were active in both tasks. Structural interference was apparent in the right insula, as quantified by an age-related reduction in upregulation of brain activity from single- to dual-task. However, the magnitude of upregulation did not correlate with dual-task costs. Therefore, we conclude that the greater dual-task costs in old adults were probably not due to increased structural interference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selma Papegaaij
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
- * E-mail: (SP); (CV)
| | - Tibor Hortobágyi
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Ben Godde
- Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Wim A. Kaan
- Center for Human Movement Sciences, Groningen University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Peter Erhard
- Brain Research Institute, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Claudia Voelcker-Rehage
- Jacobs Center on Lifelong Learning and Institutional Development, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, Germany
- * E-mail: (SP); (CV)
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Anders R, Hinault T, Lemaire P. Heuristics versus direct calculation, and age-related differences in multiplication: an evidence accumulation account of plausibility decisions in arithmetic. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2017.1397676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Anders
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPC, Marseille, France
| | - T. Hinault
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPC, Marseille, France
| | - P. Lemaire
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPC, Marseille, France
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35
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Berkovitch L, Dehaene S, Gaillard R. Disruption of Conscious Access in Schizophrenia. Trends Cogn Sci 2017; 21:878-892. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2017.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 07/25/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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36
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Rieznik A, Lebedev M, Sigman M. Dazzled by the Mystery of Mentalism: The Cognitive Neuroscience of Mental Athletes. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:287. [PMID: 28620289 PMCID: PMC5449434 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andres Rieznik
- CONICETBuenos Aires, Argentina.,El Gato y La CajaBuenos Aires, Argentina.,Neuroscience Laboratory, Universidad Torcuato Di TellaBuenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mikhail Lebedev
- Center for Neuroengineering, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, United States
| | - Mariano Sigman
- CONICETBuenos Aires, Argentina.,Neuroscience Laboratory, Universidad Torcuato Di TellaBuenos Aires, Argentina
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Panksepp J, Lane RD, Solms M, Smith R. Reconciling cognitive and affective neuroscience perspectives on the brain basis of emotional experience. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 76:187-215. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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Ellinghaus R, Karlbauer M, Bausenhart KM, Ulrich R. On the time-course of automatic response activation in the Simon task. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2017; 82:734-743. [PMID: 28389812 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-017-0860-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Simon effect (prolonged RT when the task-irrelevant stimulus location is incongruent with the response side) has been reported to decrease at longer RTs, which is reflected in negative-going delta functions. This finding has been attributed to gradual dissipation of the response automatically activated by the task-irrelevant location information. The Diffusion Model for Conflict Tasks (DMC, Ulrich, Schröter, Leuthold, & Birngruber, Cognitive Psychology 78:148-174, 2015) formally specifies the time-course of this automatic activation process as a pulse-like function. In contrast to alternative views, DMC is consistent with the notion that this time-course is unaffected by the presentation duration of the target stimulus. Therefore, we expected that delta functions are invariant against changes of stimulus duration. This prediction was verified in two Simon task experiments. Consistent with this general result, DMC's parameter τ which defines the time-course of the automatic response activation was estimated to not meaningfully differ between short and long durations. We argue that our results are coherent with processing architectures that assume a transient automatic process that is virtually unaffected by stimulus duration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben Ellinghaus
- Psychological Institute, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Matthias Karlbauer
- Psychological Institute, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Karin M Bausenhart
- Psychological Institute, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Rolf Ulrich
- Psychological Institute, University of Tübingen, Schleichstrasse 4, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
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39
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Exploring the origin of the number-size congruency effect: Sensitivity or response bias? Atten Percept Psychophys 2017; 79:383-388. [PMID: 28130715 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-016-1267-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Physical size modulates the efficiency of digit comparison, depending on whether the relation of numerical magnitude and physical size is congruent or incongruent (Besner & Coltheart, Neuropsychologia, 17, 467-472, 1979), the number-size congruency effect (NSCE). In addition, Henik and Tzelgov (Memory & Cognition, 10, 389-395, 1982) first reported an NSCE for the reverse task of comparing the physical size of digits such that the numerical magnitude of digits modulated the time required to compare their physical sizes. Does the NSCE in physical comparisons simply reflect a number-mediated bias mechanism related to making decisions and selecting responses about the digit's sizes? Alternatively, or in addition, the NSCE might indicate a true increase in the ability to discriminate small and large font sizes when these sizes are congruent with the digit's symbolic numerical meaning, over and above response bias effects. We present a new research design that permits us to apply signal detection theory to a task that required observers to judge the physical size of digits. Our results clearly demonstrate that the NSCE cannot be reduced to mere response bias effects, and that genuine sensitivity gains for congruent number-size pairings contribute to the NSCE.
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40
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Abstract
The use of separate multisensory signals is often beneficial. A prominent example is the speed-up of responses to two redundant signals relative to the components, which is known as the redundant signals effect (RSE). A convenient explanation for the effect is statistical facilitation, which is inherent in the basic architecture of race models (Raab, 1962,Trans. N. Y. Acad. Sci.24, 574–590). However, this class of models has been largely rejected in multisensory research, which we think results from an ambiguity in definitions and misinterpretations of the influential race model test (Miller, 1982,Cogn. Psychol.14, 247–279). To resolve these issues, we here discuss four main items. First, we clarify definitions and ask how successful models of perceptual decision making can be extended from uni- to multisensory decisions. Second, we review the race model test and emphasize elements leading to confusion with its interpretation. Third, we introduce a new approach to study the RSE. As a major change of direction, our working hypothesis is that the basic race model architecture is correct even if the race model test seems to suggest otherwise. Based on this approach, we argue that understanding the variability of responses is the key to understand the RSE. Finally, we highlight the critical role of model testability to advance research on multisensory decisions. Despite being largely rejected, it should be recognized that race models, as part of a broader class of parallel decision models, demonstrate, in fact, a convincing explanatory power in a range of experimental paradigms. To improve research consistency in the future, we conclude with a short checklist for RSE studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas U. Otto
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Pascal Mamassian
- Laboratoire des Systèmes Perceptifs (CNRS UMR 8248), Ecole Normale Supérieure — PSL Research University, Paris, France
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41
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Cohen DJ, Quinlan PT. How numbers mean: Comparing random walk models of numerical cognition varying both encoding processes and underlying quantity representations. Cogn Psychol 2016; 91:63-81. [PMID: 27821255 PMCID: PMC5171212 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogpsych.2016.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2016] [Accepted: 10/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
How do people derive meaning from numbers? Here, we instantiate the primary theories of numerical representation in computational models and compare simulated performance to human data. Specifically, we fit simulated data to the distributions for correct and incorrect responses, as well as the pattern of errors made, in a traditional "relative quantity" task. The results reveal that no current theory of numerical representation can adequately account for the data without additional assumptions. However, when we introduce repeated, error-prone sampling of the stimulus (e.g., Cohen, 2009) superior fits are achieved when the underlying representation of integers reflects linear spacing with constant variance. These results provide new insights into (i) the detailed nature of mental numerical representation, and, (ii) general perceptual processes implemented by the human visual system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale J Cohen
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States.
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42
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Brody CD, Hanks TD. Neural underpinnings of the evidence accumulator. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2016; 37:149-157. [PMID: 26878969 PMCID: PMC5777584 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2016.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Gradual accumulation of evidence favoring one or another choice is considered a core component of many different types of decisions, and has been the subject of many neurophysiological studies in non-human primates. But its neural circuit mechanisms remain mysterious. Investigating it in rodents has recently become possible, facilitating perturbation experiments to delineate the relevant causal circuit, as well as the application of other tools more readily available in rodents. In addition, advances in stimulus design and analysis have aided studying the relevant neural encoding. In complement to ongoing non-human primate studies, these newly available model systems and tools place the field at an exciting time that suggests that the dynamical circuit mechanisms underlying accumulation of evidence could soon be revealed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos D Brody
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, USA; Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
| | - Timothy D Hanks
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA; Department of Neurology, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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43
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Do Arabic numerals activate magnitude automatically? Evidence from the psychological refractory period paradigm. Psychon Bull Rev 2016; 23:1528-1533. [PMID: 27025502 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-016-1020-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A single experiment (N = 30) tested the claim that Arabic numerals automatically activate their magnitude representations by assessing whether central attention is required in order to activate magnitude within the psychological refractory period (PRP) paradigm. Subjects performed a color discrimination task as Task 1 and a parity judgment task as Task 2. Task overlap was controlled by varying stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA). A spatial-numerical association of response codes (SNARC) effect arose in Task 2 and yielded under-additive effects with decreasing SOA. This result suggests that magnitude is activated prior to central attention, and is therefore consistent with the claim that numerals activate magnitude automatically.
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44
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Szameitat AJ, Vanloo A, Müller HJ. Central as well as Peripheral Attentional Bottlenecks in Dual-Task Performance Activate Lateral Prefrontal Cortices. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:119. [PMID: 27014044 PMCID: PMC4792877 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Human information processing suffers from severe limitations in parallel processing. In particular, when required to respond to two stimuli in rapid succession, processing bottlenecks may appear at central and peripheral stages of task processing. Importantly, it has been suggested that executive functions are needed to resolve the interference arising at such bottlenecks. The aims of the present study were to test whether central attentional limitations (i.e., bottleneck at the decisional response selection stage) as well as peripheral limitations (i.e., bottleneck at response initiation) both demand executive functions located in the lateral prefrontal cortex. For this, we re-analyzed two previous studies, in which a total of 33 participants performed a dual-task according to the paradigm of the psychological refractory period (PRP) during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In one study (N = 17), the PRP task consisted of two two-choice response tasks known to suffer from a central bottleneck (CB group). In the other study (N = 16), the PRP task consisted of two simple-response tasks known to suffer from a peripheral bottleneck (PB group). Both groups showed considerable dual-task costs in form of slowing of the second response in the dual-task (PRP effect). Imaging results are based on the subtraction of both single-tasks from the dual-task within each group. In the CB group, the bilateral middle frontal gyri and inferior frontal gyri were activated. Higher activation in these areas was associated with lower dual-task costs. In the PB group, the right middle frontal and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) were activated. Here, higher activation was associated with higher dual-task costs. In conclusion we suggest that central and peripheral bottlenecks both demand executive functions located in lateral prefrontal cortices (LPFC). Differences between the CB and PB groups with respect to the exact prefrontal areas activated and the correlational patterns suggest that the executive functions resolving interference at least partially differ between the groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- André J Szameitat
- Division of Psychology and CUBIC, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UK
| | - Azonya Vanloo
- Division of Psychology and CUBIC, Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UK
| | - Hermann J Müller
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Germany
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45
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Williams JC, Bell JL. Consolidation of the Error Producing Conditions Used in the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (Heart). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/09617353.2015.11691047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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46
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Levinson SC. Turn-taking in Human Communication--Origins and Implications for Language Processing. Trends Cogn Sci 2015; 20:6-14. [PMID: 26651245 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2015.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 237] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Most language usage is interactive, involving rapid turn-taking. The turn-taking system has a number of striking properties: turns are short and responses are remarkably rapid, but turns are of varying length and often of very complex construction such that the underlying cognitive processing is highly compressed. Although neglected in cognitive science, the system has deep implications for language processing and acquisition that are only now becoming clear. Appearing earlier in ontogeny than linguistic competence, it is also found across all the major primate clades. This suggests a possible phylogenetic continuity, which may provide key insights into language evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C Levinson
- Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Wundtlaan 1, NL-6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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47
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Marti S, King JR, Dehaene S. Time-Resolved Decoding of Two Processing Chains during Dual-Task Interference. Neuron 2015; 88:1297-1307. [PMID: 26627309 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.10.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Revised: 09/04/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The human brain exhibits fundamental limitations in multitasking. When subjects engage in a primary task, their ability to respond to a second stimulus is degraded. Two competing models of multitasking have been proposed: either cognitive resources are shared between tasks, or they are allocated to each task serially. Using a novel combination of magneto-encephalography and multivariate pattern analyses, we obtained a precise spatio-temporal decomposition of the brain processes at work during multitasking. We discovered that each task relies on a sequence of brain processes. These sequences can operate in parallel for several hundred milliseconds but beyond ∼ 500 ms, they repel each other: processes evoked by the first task are shortened, while processes of the second task are either lengthened or postponed. These results contradict the resource-sharing model and further demonstrate that the serial model is incomplete. We therefore propose a new theoretical framework for the computational architecture underlying multitasking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Marti
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France.
| | - Jean-Rémi King
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France
| | - Stanislas Dehaene
- Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, CEA DSV/I2BM, INSERM, Université Paris-Saclay, NeuroSpin Center, 91191 Gif/Yvette, France; Collège de France, F-75005 Paris, France
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48
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Lo CC, Wang CT, Wang XJ. Speed-accuracy tradeoff by a control signal with balanced excitation and inhibition. J Neurophysiol 2015; 114:650-61. [PMID: 25995354 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00845.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 05/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A hallmark of flexible behavior is the brain's ability to dynamically adjust speed and accuracy in decision-making. Recent studies suggested that such adjustments modulate not only the decision threshold, but also the rate of evidence accumulation. However, the underlying neuronal-level mechanism of the rate change remains unclear. In this work, using a spiking neural network model of perceptual decision, we demonstrate that speed and accuracy of a decision process can be effectively adjusted by manipulating a top-down control signal with balanced excitation and inhibition [balanced synaptic input (BSI)]. Our model predicts that emphasizing accuracy over speed leads to reduced rate of ramping activity and reduced baseline activity of decision neurons, which have been observed recently at the level of single neurons recorded from behaving monkeys in speed-accuracy tradeoff tasks. Moreover, we found that an increased inhibitory component of BSI skews the decision time distribution and produces a pronounced exponential tail, which is commonly observed in human studies. Our findings suggest that BSI can serve as a top-down control mechanism to rapidly and parametrically trade between speed and accuracy, and such a cognitive control signal presents both when the subjects emphasize accuracy or speed in perceptual decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Chuan Lo
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; Brain Research Center, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan; and
| | - Cheng-Te Wang
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan
| | - Xiao-Jing Wang
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, New York
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49
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Mental subtraction and multiplication recruit both phonological and visuospatial resources: evidence from a symmetric dual-task design. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2015; 80:608-24. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-015-0667-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2014] [Accepted: 04/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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50
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Erlich JC, Brunton BW, Duan CA, Hanks TD, Brody CD. Distinct effects of prefrontal and parietal cortex inactivations on an accumulation of evidence task in the rat. eLife 2015; 4:e05457. [PMID: 25869470 PMCID: PMC4392479 DOI: 10.7554/elife.05457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2014] [Accepted: 03/01/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous brain regions have been shown to have neural correlates of gradually accumulating evidence for decision-making, but the causal roles of these regions in decisions driven by accumulation of evidence have yet to be determined. Here, in rats performing an auditory evidence accumulation task, we inactivated the frontal orienting fields (FOF) and posterior parietal cortex (PPC), two rat cortical regions that have neural correlates of accumulating evidence and that have been proposed as central to decision-making. We used a detailed model of the decision process to analyze the effect of inactivations. Inactivation of the FOF induced substantial performance impairments that were quantitatively best described as an impairment in the output pathway of an evidence accumulator with a long integration time constant (>240 ms). In contrast, we found a minimal role for PPC in decisions guided by accumulating auditory evidence, even while finding a strong role for PPC in internally-guided decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey C Erlich
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science, NYU Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Bingni W Brunton
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
- Department of Biology, UW Institute of Neuroengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, United States
| | - Chunyu A Duan
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Timothy D Hanks
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
| | - Carlos D Brody
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, United States
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