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Wikman P, Salmela V, Sjöblom E, Leminen M, Laine M, Alho K. Attention to audiovisual speech shapes neural processing through feedback-feedforward loops between different nodes of the speech network. PLoS Biol 2024; 22:e3002534. [PMID: 38466713 PMCID: PMC10957087 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Selective attention-related top-down modulation plays a significant role in separating relevant speech from irrelevant background speech when vocal attributes separating concurrent speakers are small and continuously evolving. Electrophysiological studies have shown that such top-down modulation enhances neural tracking of attended speech. Yet, the specific cortical regions involved remain unclear due to the limited spatial resolution of most electrophysiological techniques. To overcome such limitations, we collected both electroencephalography (EEG) (high temporal resolution) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) (high spatial resolution), while human participants selectively attended to speakers in audiovisual scenes containing overlapping cocktail party speech. To utilise the advantages of the respective techniques, we analysed neural tracking of speech using the EEG data and performed representational dissimilarity-based EEG-fMRI fusion. We observed that attention enhanced neural tracking and modulated EEG correlates throughout the latencies studied. Further, attention-related enhancement of neural tracking fluctuated in predictable temporal profiles. We discuss how such temporal dynamics could arise from a combination of interactions between attention and prediction as well as plastic properties of the auditory cortex. EEG-fMRI fusion revealed attention-related iterative feedforward-feedback loops between hierarchically organised nodes of the ventral auditory object related processing stream. Our findings support models where attention facilitates dynamic neural changes in the auditory cortex, ultimately aiding discrimination of relevant sounds from irrelevant ones while conserving neural resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrik Wikman
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Viljami Salmela
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
| | - Eetu Sjöblom
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miika Leminen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- AI and Analytics Unit, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Matti Laine
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Kimmo Alho
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University, Espoo, Finland
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McCusker MC, Wiesman AI, Schantell MD, Eastman JA, Wilson TW. Multi-spectral oscillatory dynamics serving directed and divided attention. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116927. [PMID: 32438050 PMCID: PMC7573387 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 05/01/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention-related amplification of neural representations of external stimuli has been well documented in the visual domain, however, research concerning the oscillatory dynamics of such directed attention is relatively sparse in humans. Specifically, it is unknown which spectrally-specific neural responses are mainly impacted by the direction and division of attention, as well as whether the effects of attention on these oscillations are spatially disparate. In this study, we use magnetoencephalography and a visual-somatosensory oddball task to investigate the whole-brain oscillatory dynamics of directed (Experiment 1; N = 26) and divided (Experiment 2; N = 34) visual attention. Sensor-level data were transformed into the time-frequency domain and significant responses from baseline were imaged using a frequency-resolved beamformer. We found that multi-spectral cortical oscillations were stronger when attention was sustained in the visual space and that these effects exhibited informative spatial distributions that differed by frequency. More specifically, we found stronger frontal theta (4–8 Hz), frontal and occipital alpha (8–14 Hz), occipital beta (16–22 Hz), and frontal gamma (74–84 Hz) responses when visual attention was sustained than when it was directed away from the visual domain. Similarly, in the divided attention condition, we observed stronger fronto-parietal theta activity and temporo-parietal alpha and beta oscillations when visual attention was sustained toward the visual stimuli than divided between the visual and somatosensory domains. Investigating how attentional gain is implemented in the human brain is essential for better understanding how this process is degraded in disease, and may provide useful targets for future therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie C McCusker
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Alex I Wiesman
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Mikki D Schantell
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Jacob A Eastman
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Center for Magnetoencephalography, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Cognitive Neuroscience of Development & Aging (CoNDA) Center, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA; Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA.
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Melara RD, Singh S, Hien DA. Neural and Behavioral Correlates of Attentional Inhibition Training and Perceptual Discrimination Training in a Visual Flanker Task. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:191. [PMID: 29875644 PMCID: PMC5974255 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Two groups of healthy young adults were exposed to 3 weeks of cognitive training in a modified version of the visual flanker task, one group trained to discriminate the target (discrimination training) and the other group to ignore the flankers (inhibition training). Inhibition training, but not discrimination training, led to significant reductions in both Garner interference, indicating improved selective attention, and in Stroop interference, indicating more efficient resolution of stimulus conflict. The behavioral gains from training were greatest in participants who showed the poorest selective attention at pretest. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that inhibition training increased the magnitude of Rejection Positivity (RP) to incongruent distractors, an event-related potential (ERP) component associated with inhibitory control. Source modeling of RP uncovered a dipole in the medial frontal gyrus for those participants receiving inhibition training, but in the cingulate gyrus for those participants receiving discrimination training. Results suggest that inhibitory control is plastic; inhibition training improves conflict resolution, particularly in individuals with poor attention skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D. Melara
- Department of Psychology, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, North Academic Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Shalini Singh
- Department of Psychology, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, North Academic Center, New York, NY, United States
| | - Denise A. Hien
- Department of Psychology, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, North Academic Center, New York, NY, United States
- Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, United States
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Melara RD, Ruglass LM, Fertuck EA, Hien DA. Regulation of threat in post-traumatic stress disorder: Associations between inhibitory control and dissociative symptoms. Biol Psychol 2018; 133:89-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2017] [Revised: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Salo E, Rinne T, Salonen O, Alho K. Brain activations during bimodal dual tasks depend on the nature and combination of component tasks. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:102. [PMID: 25767443 PMCID: PMC4341542 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate brain activations during nine different dual tasks in which the participants were required to simultaneously attend to concurrent streams of spoken syllables and written letters. They performed a phonological, spatial or “simple” (speaker-gender or font-shade) discrimination task within each modality. We expected to find activations associated specifically with dual tasking especially in the frontal and parietal cortices. However, no brain areas showed systematic dual task enhancements common for all dual tasks. Further analysis revealed that dual tasks including component tasks that were according to Baddeley's model “modality atypical,” that is, the auditory spatial task or the visual phonological task, were not associated with enhanced frontal activity. In contrast, for other dual tasks, activity specifically associated with dual tasking was found in the left or bilateral frontal cortices. Enhanced activation in parietal areas, however, appeared not to be specifically associated with dual tasking per se, but rather with intermodal attention switching. We also expected effects of dual tasking in left frontal supramodal phonological processing areas when both component tasks required phonological processing and in right parietal supramodal spatial processing areas when both tasks required spatial processing. However, no such effects were found during these dual tasks compared with their component tasks performed separately. Taken together, the current results indicate that activations during dual tasks depend in a complex manner on specific demands of component tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Salo
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto University School of Science and Technology Espoo, Finland
| | - Teemu Rinne
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Oili Salonen
- Helsinki Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kimmo Alho
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study Uppsala, Sweden
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Moisala M, Salmela V, Salo E, Carlson S, Vuontela V, Salonen O, Alho K. Brain activity during divided and selective attention to auditory and visual sentence comprehension tasks. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:86. [PMID: 25745395 PMCID: PMC4333810 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2014] [Accepted: 02/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we measured brain activity of human participants while they performed a sentence congruence judgment task in either the visual or auditory modality separately, or in both modalities simultaneously. Significant performance decrements were observed when attention was divided between the two modalities compared with when one modality was selectively attended. Compared with selective attention (i.e., single tasking), divided attention (i.e., dual-tasking) did not recruit additional cortical regions, but resulted in increased activity in medial and lateral frontal regions which were also activated by the component tasks when performed separately. Areas involved in semantic language processing were revealed predominantly in the left lateral prefrontal cortex by contrasting incongruent with congruent sentences. These areas also showed significant activity increases during divided attention in relation to selective attention. In the sensory cortices, no crossmodal inhibition was observed during divided attention when compared with selective attention to one modality. Our results suggest that the observed performance decrements during dual-tasking are due to interference of the two tasks because they utilize the same part of the cortex. Moreover, semantic dual-tasking did not appear to recruit additional brain areas in comparison with single tasking, and no crossmodal inhibition was observed during intermodal divided attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona Moisala
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Department of Teacher Education, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Viljami Salmela
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University Espoo, Finland
| | - Emma Salo
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Synnöve Carlson
- Brain Research Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, Aalto University School of Science Espoo, Finland ; Neuroscience Unit, Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Virve Vuontela
- Neuroscience Unit, Institute of Biomedicine/Physiology, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
| | - Oili Salonen
- Helsinki Medical Imaging Center, Helsinki University Central Hospital Helsinki, Finland
| | - Kimmo Alho
- Division of Cognitive Psychology and Neuropsychology, Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto NeuroImaging, Aalto University Espoo, Finland ; Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, University of Helsinki Helsinki, Finland ; Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study Uppsala, Sweden
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Chen S, Melara RD. Rejection positivity predicts trial-to-trial reaction times in an auditory selective attention task: a computational analysis of inhibitory control. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:585. [PMID: 25191244 PMCID: PMC4137173 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2014] [Accepted: 07/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of computer simulations using variants of a formal model of attention (Melara and Algom, 2003) probed the role of rejection positivity (RP), a slow-wave electroencephalographic (EEG) component, in the inhibitory control of distraction. Behavioral and EEG data were recorded as participants performed auditory selective attention tasks. Simulations that modulated processes of distractor inhibition accounted well for reaction-time (RT) performance, whereas those that modulated target excitation did not. A model that incorporated RP from actual EEG recordings in estimating distractor inhibition was superior in predicting changes in RT as a function of distractor salience across conditions. A model that additionally incorporated momentary fluctuations in EEG as the source of trial-to-trial variation in performance precisely predicted individual RTs within each condition. The results lend support to the linking proposition that RP controls the speed of responding to targets through the inhibitory control of distractors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sufen Chen
- Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Robert D Melara
- Department of Psychology, North Academic Center, City College, City University of New York New York, NY, USA
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