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França TFA. Exploring undiscovered public knowledge in neuroscience. Eur J Neurosci 2024. [PMID: 38782707 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In this essay, I argue that the combination of research synthesis and philosophical methods can fill an important methodological gap in neuroscience. While experimental research and formal modelling have seen their methods progressively increase in rigour and sophistication over the years, the task of analysing and synthesizing the vast literature reporting new results and models has lagged behind. The problem is aggravated because neuroscience has grown and expanded into a vast mosaic of related but partially independent subfields, each with their own literatures. This fragmentation not only makes it difficult to see the full picture emerging from neuroscience research but also limits progress in individual subfields. The current neuroscience literature has the perfect conditions to create what the information scientist Don Swanson called "undiscovered public knowledge"-knowledge that exists in the mutual implications of different published pieces of information but that is nonetheless undiscovered because those pieces have not been explicitly connected. Current methods for rigorous research synthesis, such as systematic reviews and meta-analyses, mostly focus on combining similar studies and are not suited for exploring undiscovered public knowledge. To that aim, they need to be adapted and supplemented. I argue that successful exploration of the hidden implications in the neuroscience literature will require the combination of these adapted research synthesis methods with philosophical methods for rigorous (and creative) analysis and synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thiago F A França
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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2
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Prasad S, Hommel B. Models need mechanisms, but not labels. Behav Brain Sci 2024; 47:e111. [PMID: 38770880 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x23003370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The target article proposes a model involving the important but not well-investigated topics of curiosity and creativity. The model, however, falls short of providing convincing explanations of the basic mechanisms underlying these phenomena. We outline the importance of mechanistic thinking in dealing with the concepts outlined in this article specifically and within psychology and cognitive neuroscience in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seema Prasad
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, TU Dresden, Dresden,
| | - Bernhard Hommel
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
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3
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Groh JM, Schmehl MN, Caruso VC, Tokdar ST. Signal switching may enhance processing power of the brain. Trends Cogn Sci 2024:S1364-6613(24)00103-7. [PMID: 38763804 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2024.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024]
Abstract
Our ability to perceive multiple objects is mysterious. Sensory neurons are broadly tuned, producing potential overlap in the populations of neurons activated by each object in a scene. This overlap raises questions about how distinct information is retained about each item. We present a novel signal switching theory of neural representation, which posits that neural signals may interleave representations of individual items across time. Evidence for this theory comes from new statistical tools that overcome the limitations inherent to standard time-and-trial-pooled assessments of neural signals. Our theory has implications for diverse domains of neuroscience, including attention, figure binding/scene segregation, oscillations, and divisive normalization. The general concept of switching between functions could also lend explanatory power to theories of grounded cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Groh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Department of Computer Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA.
| | - Meredith N Schmehl
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA; Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Valeria C Caruso
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Surya T Tokdar
- Department of Statistical Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27705, USA
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4
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Adamic EM, Teed AR, Avery JA, de la Cruz F, Khalsa SS. Hemispheric divergence of interoceptive processing across psychiatric disorders. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.12.08.570759. [PMID: 38105986 PMCID: PMC10723463 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.08.570759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Interactions between top-down attention and bottom-up visceral inputs are assumed to produce conscious perceptions of interoceptive states, and while each process has been independently associated with aberrant interoceptive symptomatology in psychiatric disorders, the neural substrates of this interface are unknown. We conducted a preregistered functional neuroimaging study of 46 individuals with anxiety, depression, and/or eating disorders (ADE) and 46 propensity-matched healthy comparisons (HC), comparing their neural activity across two interoceptive tasks differentially recruiting top-down or bottom-up processing within the same scan session. During an interoceptive attention task, top-down attention was voluntarily directed towards cardiorespiratory or visual signals, whereas during an interoceptive perturbation task, intravenous infusions of isoproterenol (a peripherally-acting beta-adrenergic receptor agonist) were administered in a double-blinded and placebo-controlled fashion to drive bottom-up cardiorespiratory sensations. Across both tasks, neural activation converged upon the insular cortex, localizing within the granular and ventral dysgranular subregions bilaterally. However, contrasting hemispheric differences emerged, with the ADE group exhibiting (relative to HCs) an asymmetric pattern of overlap in the left insula, with increased or decreased proportions of co-activated voxels within the left or right dysgranular insula, respectively. The ADE group also showed less agranular anterior insula activation during periods of bodily uncertainty (i.e., when anticipating possible isoproterenol-induced changes that never arrived). Finally, post-task changes in insula functional connectivity were associated with anxiety and depression severity. These findings confirm the dysgranular mid-insula as a key cortical interface where attention and prediction meet real-time bodily inputs, especially during heightened awareness of interoceptive states. Further, the dysgranular mid-insula may indeed be a "locus of disruption" for psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Adamic
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA, 74136
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA, 74104
| | - Adam R Teed
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA, 74136
| | - Jason A Avery
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA, 20814
| | - Feliberto de la Cruz
- Laboratory for Autonomic Neuroscience, Imaging, and Cognition (LANIC), Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Thuringia, Germany, 07743
| | - Sahib S Khalsa
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA, 74136
- Oxley College of Health Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA, 74119
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5
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Mougenot D, Matheson H. Theoretical strategies for an embodied cognitive neuroscience: Mechanistic explanations of brain-body-environment systems. Cogn Neurosci 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38736314 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2024.2349546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive neuroscience seeks to explain mind, brain, and behavior. But how do we generate explanations? In this integrative theoretical paper, we review the commitments of the 'New Mechanist' movement within the philosophy of science, focusing specifically on the role of mechanistic models in scientific explanation. We highlight how this approach differs from other explanatory approaches within the field, showing its unique contributions to the efforts of scientific explanation. We then argue that the commitments of the Embodied Cognition framework converge with the commitments of the New Mechanist movement in a way that provides a necessary explanatory strategy available to cognitive neuroscience. We then discuss a number of consequences of this convergence, including issues related to the inadequacy of statistical prediction, neuroscientific reduction, the autonomy of psychology from neuroscience, and psychological and neuroscientific ontology. We hope that our integrative thesis provides researchers with a theoretical strategy for an embodied cognitive neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davy Mougenot
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
| | - Heath Matheson
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, Canada
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6
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Strauss DJ, Francis AL, Vibell J, Corona-Strauss FI. The role of attention in immersion: The two-competitor model. Brain Res Bull 2024; 210:110923. [PMID: 38462137 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2024.110923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Currently, we face an exponentially increasing interest in immersion, especially sensory-driven immersion, mainly due to the rapid development of ideas and business models centered around a digital virtual universe as well as the increasing availability of affordable immersive technologies for education, communication, and entertainment. However, a clear definition of 'immersion', in terms of established neurocognitive concepts and measurable properties, remains elusive, slowing research on the human side of immersive interfaces. To address this problem, we propose a conceptual, taxonomic model of attention in immersion. We argue (a) modeling immersion theoretically as well as studying immersion experimentally requires a detailed characterization of the role of attention in immersion, even though (b) attention, while necessary, cannot be a sufficient condition for defining immersion. Our broader goal is to characterize immersion in terms that will be compatible with established psychophysiolgical measures that could then in principle be used for the assessment and eventually the optimization of an immersive experience. We start from the perspective that immersion requires the projection of attention to an induced reality, and build on accepted taxonomies of different modes of attention for the development of our two-competitor model. The two-competitor model allows for a quantitative implementation and has an easy graphical interpretation. It helps to highlight the important link between different modes of attention and affect in studying immersion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Strauss
- Systems Neuroscience & Neurotechnology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University & School of Engineering, htw saar, Homburg/Saar, Germany.
| | - Alexander L Francis
- Speech Perception & Cognitive Effort Lab, Dept. of Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jonas Vibell
- Brain & Behavior Lab, Dept. of Psychology, University of Hawai'i at Manoa, Honololulu, HI, USA
| | - Farah I Corona-Strauss
- Systems Neuroscience & Neurotechnology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Saarland University & School of Engineering, htw saar, Homburg/Saar, Germany
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7
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Kirsch W, Kunde W. An attentional approach to geometrical illusions. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1360160. [PMID: 38686092 PMCID: PMC11056548 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1360160] [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: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
It is known for a long time that some drawings composed of points, lines, and areas are systematically misperceived. The origin of these geometrical illusions is still unknown. Here we outline how a recent progress in attentional research contributes to a better understanding of such perceptual distortions. The basic idea behind this approach is that crucial elements of a drawing are differently attended. These changes in the allocation of spatial attention go along with systematic changes in low-level spatial coding. As a result, changes in the perception of spatial extent, angles, positions, and shapes can arise. How this approach can be applied to individual illusions is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wladimir Kirsch
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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8
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Wu W. We know what attention is! Trends Cogn Sci 2024; 28:304-318. [PMID: 38103983 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.11.007] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Attention is one of the most thoroughly investigated psychological phenomena, yet skepticism about attention is widespread: we do not know what it is, it is too many things, there is no such thing. The deficiencies highlighted are not about experimental work but the adequacy of the scientific theory of attention. Combining common scientific claims about attention into a single theory leads to internal inconsistency. This paper demonstrates that a specific functional conception of attention is incorporated into the tasks used in standard experimental paradigms. In accepting these paradigms as valid probes of attention, we commit to this common conception. The conception unifies work at multiple levels of analysis into a coherent scientific explanation of attention. Thus, we all know what attention is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wayne Wu
- Italian Academy for Advanced Studies in America, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Philosophy and Neuroscience Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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9
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Anderson BA. Trichotomy revisited: A monolithic theory of attentional control. Vision Res 2024; 217:108366. [PMID: 38387262 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2024.108366] [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: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The control of attention was long held to reflect the influence of two competing mechanisms of assigning priority, one goal-directed and the other stimulus-driven. Learning-dependent influences on the control of attention that could not be attributed to either of those two established mechanisms of control gave rise to the concept of selection history and a corresponding third mechanism of attentional control. The trichotomy framework that ensued has come to dominate theories of attentional control over the past decade, replacing the historical dichotomy. In this theoretical review, I readily affirm that distinctions between the influence of goals, salience, and selection history are substantive and meaningful, and that abandoning the dichotomy between goal-directed and stimulus-driven mechanisms of control was appropriate. I do, however, question whether a theoretical trichotomy is the right answer to the problem posed by selection history. If we reframe the influence of goals and selection history as different flavors of memory-dependent modulations of attentional priority and if we characterize the influence of salience as a consequence of insufficient competition from such memory-dependent sources of priority, it is possible to account for a wide range of attention-related phenomena with only one mechanism of control. The monolithic framework for the control of attention that I propose offers several concrete advantages over a trichotomy framework, which I explore here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian A Anderson
- Texas A&M University, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, 4235 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-4235, United States.
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10
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Escobar LE, Liew M, Yirdong F, Mandelos KP, Ferraro-Diglio SR, Abraham BM, Polanco-Roman L, Benau EM. Reduced attentional control in individuals with a history of suicide attempts compared to those with suicidal ideation: Results from a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2024; 349:8-20. [PMID: 38169241 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurocognitive profiles may be especially useful to identify factors that facilitate transitioning from contemplating suicide to attempting suicide. Generally, those who attempt suicide show greater disruptions in neurocognitive ability compared to those who think about suicide but do not proceed to attempt. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to test whether this pattern is observed with attentional control. METHODS We systematically searched PubMed, PsychINFO, CINAHL, and Google Scholar to find pertinent studies. All included studies compared attentional functioning using neutral stimuli. Each sample featured adults with a history of suicidal ideation (SI) and no history of suicide attempts (SA) compared to those with a history of SA. RESULTS We identified 15 studies with 32 effect sizes (N = 931; n = 506 with SI only; n = 425 with SA). SA groups, compared to SI groups, exhibited worse accuracy yet similar reaction time, suggesting a comparatively blunted speed-accuracy tradeoff. Relative to SI, SA groups performed worse on Stroop-like and Go/NoGo tasks. SA performed better than SI on Trail Making Test B, but not A. LIMITATIONS There were few available studies. Most samples were small. We did not differentiate current vs. past SI or high vs. low lethality SA. Only English and Spanish language articles were included. CONCLUSIONS Disrupted attentional control may convey risk for transitioning to SA from SI. More work is needed to determine which components of attention are most associated with suicide risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lesly E Escobar
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, USA
| | - Megan Liew
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
| | - Felix Yirdong
- Department of Psychology, CUNY Graduate Center, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Blessy M Abraham
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, USA
| | | | - Erik M Benau
- Department of Psychology, SUNY Old Westbury, Old Westbury, NY, USA.
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11
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Levitas DJ, James TW. Dynamic threat-reward neural processing under semi-naturalistic ecologically relevant scenarios. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26648. [PMID: 38445552 PMCID: PMC10915741 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26648] [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: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Studies of affective neuroscience have typically employed highly controlled, static experimental paradigms to investigate the neural underpinnings of threat and reward processing in the brain. Yet our knowledge of affective processing in more naturalistic settings remains limited. Specifically, affective studies generally examine threat and reward features separately and under brief time periods, despite the fact that in nature organisms are often exposed to the simultaneous presence of threat and reward features for extended periods. To study the neural mechanisms of threat and reward processing under distinct temporal profiles, we created a modified version of the PACMAN game that included these environmental features. We also conducted two automated meta-analyses to compare the findings from our semi-naturalistic paradigm to those from more constrained experiments. Overall, our results revealed a distributed system of regions sensitive to threat imminence and a less distributed system related to reward imminence, both of which exhibited overlap yet neither of which involved the amygdala. Additionally, these systems broadly overlapped with corresponding meta-analyses, with the notable absence of the amygdala in our findings. Together, these findings suggest a shared system for salience processing that reveals a heightened sensitivity toward environmental threats compared to rewards when both are simultaneously present in an environment. The broad correspondence of our findings to meta-analyses, consisting of more tightly controlled paradigms, illustrates how semi-naturalistic studies can corroborate previous findings in the literature while also potentially uncovering novel mechanisms resulting from the nuances and contexts that manifest in such dynamic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Levitas
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
| | - Thomas W. James
- Department of Psychological and Brain SciencesIndiana UniversityBloomingtonIndianaUSA
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12
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Prescott TJ, Montes González FM, Gurney K, Humphries MD, Redgrave P. Simulated Dopamine Modulation of a Neurorobotic Model of the Basal Ganglia. Biomimetics (Basel) 2024; 9:139. [PMID: 38534824 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics9030139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The vertebrate basal ganglia play an important role in action selection-the resolution of conflicts between alternative motor programs. The effective operation of basal ganglia circuitry is also known to rely on appropriate levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. We investigated reducing or increasing the tonic level of simulated dopamine in a prior model of the basal ganglia integrated into a robot control architecture engaged in a foraging task inspired by animal behaviour. The main findings were that progressive reductions in the levels of simulated dopamine caused slowed behaviour and, at low levels, an inability to initiate movement. These states were partially relieved by increased salience levels (stronger sensory/motivational input). Conversely, increased simulated dopamine caused distortion of the robot's motor acts through partially expressed motor activity relating to losing actions. This could also lead to an increased frequency of behaviour switching. Levels of simulated dopamine that were either significantly lower or higher than baseline could cause a loss of behavioural integration, sometimes leaving the robot in a 'behavioral trap'. That some analogous traits are observed in animals and humans affected by dopamine dysregulation suggests that robotic models could prove useful in understanding the role of dopamine neurotransmission in basal ganglia function and dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony J Prescott
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | | | - Kevin Gurney
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Mark D Humphries
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Peter Redgrave
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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13
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Wang XM, Karlinsky A, Constable MD, Gregory SEA, Welsh TN. Social gaze cueing elicits facilitatory and inhibitory effects on movement execution when the model might act on an object. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2024; 77:230-241. [PMID: 36999402 PMCID: PMC10798020 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231162546] [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: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
Social cues, such as eye gaze and pointing fingers, can increase the prioritisation of specific locations for cognitive processing. A previous study using a manual reaching task showed that, although both gaze and pointing cues altered target prioritisation (reaction times [RTs]), only pointing cues affected action execution (trajectory deviations). These differential effects of gaze and pointing cues on action execution could be because the gaze cue was conveyed through a disembodied head; hence, the model lacked the potential for a body part (i.e., hands) to interact with the target. In the present study, the image of a male gaze model, whose gaze direction coincided with two potential target locations, was centrally presented. The model either had his arms and hands extended underneath the potential target locations, indicating the potential to act on the targets (Experiment 1), or had his arms crossed in front of his chest, indicating the absence of potential to act (Experiment 2). Participants reached to a target that followed a nonpredictive gaze cue at one of three stimulus onset asynchronies. RTs and reach trajectories of the movements to cued and uncued targets were analysed. RTs showed a facilitation effect for both experiments, whereas trajectory analysis revealed facilitatory and inhibitory effects, but only in Experiment 1 when the model could potentially act on the targets. The results of this study suggested that when the gaze model had the potential to interact with the cued target location, the model's gaze affected not only target prioritisation but also movement execution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoye Michael Wang
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - April Karlinsky
- Department of Kinesiology, California State University, San Bernardino, San Bernardino, CA, USA
| | - Merryn D Constable
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Timothy N Welsh
- Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, Centre for Motor Control, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Liesefeld HR, Lamy D, Gaspelin N, Geng JJ, Kerzel D, Schall JD, Allen HA, Anderson BA, Boettcher S, Busch NA, Carlisle NB, Colonius H, Draschkow D, Egeth H, Leber AB, Müller HJ, Röer JP, Schubö A, Slagter HA, Theeuwes J, Wolfe J. Terms of debate: Consensus definitions to guide the scientific discourse on visual distraction. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024:10.3758/s13414-023-02820-3. [PMID: 38177944 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02820-3] [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: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Hypothesis-driven research rests on clearly articulated scientific theories. The building blocks for communicating these theories are scientific terms. Obviously, communication - and thus, scientific progress - is hampered if the meaning of these terms varies idiosyncratically across (sub)fields and even across individual researchers within the same subfield. We have formed an international group of experts representing various theoretical stances with the goal to homogenize the use of the terms that are most relevant to fundamental research on visual distraction in visual search. Our discussions revealed striking heterogeneity and we had to invest much time and effort to increase our mutual understanding of each other's use of central terms, which turned out to be strongly related to our respective theoretical positions. We present the outcomes of these discussions in a glossary and provide some context in several essays. Specifically, we explicate how central terms are used in the distraction literature and consensually sharpen their definitions in order to enable communication across theoretical standpoints. Where applicable, we also explain how the respective constructs can be measured. We believe that this novel type of adversarial collaboration can serve as a model for other fields of psychological research that strive to build a solid groundwork for theorizing and communicating by establishing a common language. For the field of visual distraction, the present paper should facilitate communication across theoretical standpoints and may serve as an introduction and reference text for newcomers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinrich R Liesefeld
- Department of Psychology, University of Bremen, Hochschulring 18, D-28359, Bremen, Germany.
| | - Dominique Lamy
- The School of Psychology Sciences and The Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv 69978, POB 39040, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | | | - Joy J Geng
- University of California Davis, Daivs, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Hans Colonius
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Anna Schubö
- Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Jeremy Wolfe
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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15
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Verity SJ, Halliday G, Hill RM, Ryles J, Bailey S. Methylphenidate improves cognitive function and health-related quality of life in survivors of childhood brain tumours. Neuropsychol Rehabil 2024; 34:133-153. [PMID: 36580420 DOI: 10.1080/09602011.2022.2157446] [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: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The growing population of survivors of childhood brain tumors present the challenge of long-term quality of survival. The domains most affected by tumor and treatment are those implicated in development of typical intellectual functions: attention, working memory, and processing speed, with consequent effects upon function and quality of life. In this paper we present service evaluation data on the 12-month effect upon processing speed, visual and auditory attentional domains in 29 patients receiving methylphenidate aged 5-16 years (Mean=10.6). METHODS Patients received immediate-release methylphenidate and were converted to modified-release as appropriate. Mean optimal dose of immediate-release methylphenidate was 0.34 mg/kg per dose (range 0.2-0.67). RESULTS Patients showed a significant positive impact of methylphenidate on attention in all tests of selective visual attention from the Test of Everyday Attention for Children 2. A significant improvement was also shown on response time. Significant change was not found on psychometric measures of sustained auditory or visual attention, or selective auditory attention. Ratings of Health-Related Quality of Life showed a positive benefit of methylphenidate at 12 months. Side effects were minimal and not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Survivors of childhood brain tumor with attentional and processing speed deficit show clinical benefit from methylphenidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Verity
- Department of Paediatric Neuro Oncology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Gail Halliday
- Department of Paediatric Neuro Oncology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
| | - Rebecca M Hill
- Department of Paediatric Neuro Oncology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jade Ryles
- Department of Paediatric Neuro Oncology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
| | - Simon Bailey
- Department of Paediatric Neuro Oncology, Great North Children's Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle, UK
- Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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16
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Smith TR, Southern R, Kirkpatrick K. Mechanisms of impulsive choice: Experiments to explore and models to map the empirical terrain. Learn Behav 2023; 51:355-391. [PMID: 36913144 PMCID: PMC10497727 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00577-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/14/2023]
Abstract
Impulsive choice is preference for a smaller-sooner (SS) outcome over a larger-later (LL) outcome when LL choices result in greater reinforcement maximization. Delay discounting is a model of impulsive choice that describes the decaying value of a reinforcer over time, with impulsive choice evident when the empirical choice-delay function is steep. Steep discounting is correlated with multiple diseases and disorders. Thus, understanding the processes underlying impulsive choice is a popular topic for investigation. Experimental research has explored the conditions that moderate impulsive choice, and quantitative models of impulsive choice have been developed that elegantly represent the underlying processes. This review spotlights experimental research in impulsive choice covering human and nonhuman animals across the domains of learning, motivation, and cognition. Contemporary models of delay discounting designed to explain the underlying mechanisms of impulsive choice are discussed. These models focus on potential candidate mechanisms, which include perception, delay and/or reinforcer sensitivity, reinforcement maximization, motivation, and cognitive systems. Although the models collectively explain multiple mechanistic phenomena, there are several cognitive processes, such as attention and working memory, that are overlooked. Future research and model development should focus on bridging the gap between quantitative models and empirical phenomena.
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17
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Bramson B, Roelofs K. Perceptual control or action-selection? Comment on: a perceptual control theory of emotional action. Cogn Emot 2023; 37:1193-1198. [PMID: 37990890 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2023.2269830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
The Perceptual Control Theory of Emotional Action provides a compelling view of the synergy between action and perception in the context of emotion. In this invited response, we outline three suggestions to further clarify and concretesise the theory in the hope that it can provide a solid basis for the theoretical, empirical, and clinical fields of emotion and emotion regulation. First, we emphasise the importance of concretesising these ideas in a way that is biologically plausible and testable in terms of its neuronal implementation, which has not been addressed in the main manuscript. Secondly, we highlight the challenges for this account to effectively describe core symptoms in emotional disorders, an essential step if the theory aims to foster the development of better-tuned neurocognitively grounded interventions. Finally, we take a leap on what action-oriented accounts of emotion can mean for the field of emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Bramson
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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18
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Dalmaso M. Foot cues can elicit covert orienting of attention. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:2440-2448. [PMID: 37059960 PMCID: PMC10497641 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01827-7] [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: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
Humans tend to orient their attentional resources towards the same location indicated by spatial signals coming from the others, such as pointing fingers, head turns, or eye-gaze. Here, two experiments investigated whether an attentional orienting response can be elicited even by foot cues. Participants were asked to localize a peripheral target while a task-irrelevant picture of a naked human foot, oriented leftward or rightward, was presented on the centre of the screen. The foot appeared in a neutral posture (i.e., standing upright) or an action-oriented posture (i.e., walking/running). In Experiment 1, neutral and action-oriented feet were presented in two distinct blocks, while in Experiment 2 they were presented intermixed. The results showed that the action-oriented foot, but not the neutral one, elicited an orienting response, though this only emerged in Experiment 2. This work suggests that attentional shifts can be induced by action-oriented foot cues, as long as these stimuli are made contextually salient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Dalmaso
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy.
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19
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Mimnaugh KJ, Center EG, Suomalainen M, Becerra I, Lozano E, Murrieta-Cid R, Ojala T, LaValle SM, Federmeier KD. Virtual Reality Sickness Reduces Attention During Immersive Experiences. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VISUALIZATION AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS 2023; 29:4394-4404. [PMID: 37788212 DOI: 10.1109/tvcg.2023.3320222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
In this paper, we show that Virtual Reality (VR) sickness is associated with a reduction in attention, which was detected with the P3b Event-Related Potential (ERP) component from electroencephalography (EEG) measurements collected in a dual-task paradigm. We hypothesized that sickness symptoms such as nausea, eyestrain, and fatigue would reduce the users' capacity to pay attention to tasks completed in a virtual environment, and that this reduction in attention would be dynamically reflected in a decrease of the P3b amplitude while VR sickness was experienced. In a user study, participants were taken on a tour through a museum in VR along paths with varying amounts of rotation, shown previously to cause different levels of VR sickness. While paying attention to the virtual museum (the primary task), participants were asked to silently count tones of a different frequency (the secondary task). Control measurements for comparison against the VR sickness conditions were taken when the users were not wearing the Head-Mounted Display (HMD) and while they were immersed in VR but not moving through the environment. This exploratory study shows, across multiple analyses, that the effect mean amplitude of the P3b collected during the task is associated with both sickness severity measured after the task with a questionnaire (SSQ) and with the number of counting errors on the secondary task. Thus, VR sickness may impair attention and task performance, and these changes in attention can be tracked with ERP measures as they happen, without asking participants to assess their sickness symptoms in the moment.
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20
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Robinson MM, Brady TF. A quantitative model of ensemble perception as summed activation in feature space. Nat Hum Behav 2023; 7:1638-1651. [PMID: 37402880 PMCID: PMC10810262 DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01602-z] [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: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/06/2023]
Abstract
Ensemble perception is a process by which we summarize complex scenes. Despite the importance of ensemble perception to everyday cognition, there are few computational models that provide a formal account of this process. Here we develop and test a model in which ensemble representations reflect the global sum of activation signals across all individual items. We leverage this set of minimal assumptions to formally connect a model of memory for individual items to ensembles. We compare our ensemble model against a set of alternative models in five experiments. Our approach uses performance on a visual memory task for individual items to generate zero-free-parameter predictions of interindividual and intraindividual differences in performance on an ensemble continuous-report task. Our top-down modelling approach formally unifies models of memory for individual items and ensembles and opens a venue for building and comparing models of distinct memory processes and representations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Robinson
- Psychology Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Timothy F Brady
- Psychology Department, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
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21
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Chang D, Pang K, Du R, Tong Y, Song YZ, Ma Z, Guo J. Making a Bird AI Expert Work for You and Me. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON PATTERN ANALYSIS AND MACHINE INTELLIGENCE 2023; 45:12068-12084. [PMID: 37159309 DOI: 10.1109/tpami.2023.3274593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
As powerful as fine-grained visual classification (FGVC) is, responding your query with a bird name of "Whip-poor-will" or "Mallard" probably does not make much sense. This however commonly accepted in the literature, underlines a fundamental question interfacing AI and human - what constitutes transferable knowledge for human to learn from AI? This paper sets out to answer this very question using FGVC as a test bed. Specifically, we envisage a scenario where a trained FGVC model (the AI expert) functions as a knowledge provider in enabling average people (you and me) to become better domain experts ourselves. Assuming an AI expert trained using expert human labels, we anchor our focus on asking and providing solutions for two questions: (i) what is the best transferable knowledge we can extract from AI, and (ii) what is the most practical means to measure the gains in expertise given that knowledge? We propose to represent knowledge as highly discriminative visual regions that are expert-exclusive and instantiate it via a novel multi-stage learning framework. A human study of 15,000 trials shows our method is able to consistently improve people of divergent bird expertise to recognise once unrecognisable birds. We further propose a crude but benchmarkable metric TEMI and therefore allow future efforts in this direction to be comparable to ours without the need of large-scale human studies.
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22
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Gundlach C, Wehle S, Müller MM. Early sensory gain control is dominated by obligatory and global feature-based attention in top-down shifts of combined spatial and feature-based attention. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10286-10302. [PMID: 37536059 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
What are the dynamics of global feature-based and spatial attention, when deployed together? In an attentional shifting experiment, flanked by three control experiments, we investigated neural temporal dynamics of combined attentional shifts. For this purpose, orange- and blue-frequency-tagged spatially overlapping Random Dot Kinematograms were presented in the left and right visual hemifield to elicit continuous steady-state-visual-evoked-potentials. After being initially engaged in a fixation cross task, participants were at some point in time cued to shift attention to one of the Random Dot Kinematograms, to detect and respond to brief coherent motion events, while ignoring all such events in other Random Dot Kinematograms. The analysis of steady-state visual-evoked potentials allowed us to map time courses and dynamics of early sensory-gain modulations by attention. This revealed a time-invariant amplification of the to-be attended color both at the attended and the unattended side, followed by suppression for the to-be-ignored color at attended and unattended sides. Across all experiments, global and obligatory feature-based selection dominated early sensory gain modulations, whereas spatial attention played a minor modulatory role. However, analyses of behavior and neural markers such as alpha-band activity and event-related potentials to target- and distractor-event processing, revealed clear modulations by spatial attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Gundlach
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | - Sebastian Wehle
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
| | - Matthias M Müller
- Experimental Psychology and Methods, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig 04107, Germany
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23
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Bruner E. Cognitive Archeology and the Attentional System: An Evolutionary Mismatch for the Genus Homo. J Intell 2023; 11:183. [PMID: 37754912 PMCID: PMC10532831 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11090183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain evolution is a key topic in evolutionary anthropology. Unfortunately, in this sense the fossil record can usually support limited anatomical and behavioral inferences. Nonetheless, information from fossil species is, in any case, particularly valuable, because it represents the only direct proof of cerebral and behavioral changes throughout the human phylogeny. Recently, archeology and psychology have been integrated in the field of cognitive archeology, which aims to interpret current cognitive models according to the evidence we have on extinct human species. In this article, such evidence is reviewed in order to consider whether and to what extent the archeological record can supply information regarding changes of the attentional system in different taxa of the human genus. In particular, behavioral correlates associated with the fronto-parietal system and working memory are employed to consider recent changes in our species, Homo sapiens, and a mismatch between attentional and visuospatial ability is hypothesized. These two functional systems support present-moment awareness and mind-wandering, respectively, and their evolutionary unbalance can explain a structural sensitivity to psychological distress in our species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiliano Bruner
- Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana, Paseo Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002 Burgos, Spain
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24
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Dubova M, Goldstone RL. Carving joints into nature: reengineering scientific concepts in light of concept-laden evidence. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:656-670. [PMID: 37173157 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
A new wave of proposals suggests that scientists must reassess scientific concepts in light of accumulated evidence. However, reengineering scientific concepts in light of data is challenging because scientific concepts affect the evidence itself in multiple ways. Among other possible influences, concepts (i) prime scientists to overemphasize within-concept similarities and between-concept differences; (ii) lead scientists to measure conceptually relevant dimensions more accurately; (iii) serve as units of scientific experimentation, communication, and theory-building; and (iv) affect the phenomena themselves. When looking for improved ways to carve nature at its joints, scholars must take the concept-laden nature of evidence into account to avoid entering a vicious circle of concept-evidence mutual substantiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Dubova
- Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA.
| | - Robert L Goldstone
- Cognitive Science Program, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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25
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Cirino PT, Farrell AE, Barnes MA, Roberts GJ. An Evaluation of the Structure of Attention in Adolescence. Dev Neuropsychol 2023; 48:162-185. [PMID: 37218215 PMCID: PMC10330620 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2023.2213789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
This study evaluated the factor structure of attention, considering internal and external attention, and juxtaposed alongside processing speed (PS) and working memory (WM). We expected the hypothesized model to fit better than unitary or method factors. We included 27 measures with 212 Hispanic middle schoolers from Spanish-speaking backgrounds, where a substantial proportion were at risk for learning difficulties. Confirmatory factor analytic models separated factors of PS and WM, but the final model did not align with theoretical predictions; rather only measurement factors emerged. Findings extend and refine our understanding of the structure of attention in adolescents.
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26
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Huang H, Li R, Zhang J. A review of visual sustained attention: neural mechanisms and computational models. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15351. [PMID: 37334118 PMCID: PMC10274610 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained attention is one of the basic abilities of humans to maintain concentration on relevant information while ignoring irrelevant information over extended periods. The purpose of the review is to provide insight into how to integrate neural mechanisms of sustained attention with computational models to facilitate research and application. Although many studies have assessed attention, the evaluation of humans' sustained attention is not sufficiently comprehensive. Hence, this study provides a current review on both neural mechanisms and computational models of visual sustained attention. We first review models, measurements, and neural mechanisms of sustained attention and propose plausible neural pathways for visual sustained attention. Next, we analyze and compare the different computational models of sustained attention that the previous reviews have not systematically summarized. We then provide computational models for automatically detecting vigilance states and evaluation of sustained attention. Finally, we outline possible future trends in the research field of sustained attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Huang
- National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Rui Li
- National Engineering Research Center for E-learning, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junsong Zhang
- Brain Cognition and Intelligent Computing Lab, Department of Artificial Intelligence, School of Informatics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China
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27
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Kay K, Bonnen K, Denison RN, Arcaro MJ, Barack DL. Tasks and their role in visual neuroscience. Neuron 2023; 111:1697-1713. [PMID: 37040765 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Vision is widely used as a model system to gain insights into how sensory inputs are processed and interpreted by the brain. Historically, careful quantification and control of visual stimuli have served as the backbone of visual neuroscience. There has been less emphasis, however, on how an observer's task influences the processing of sensory inputs. Motivated by diverse observations of task-dependent activity in the visual system, we propose a framework for thinking about tasks, their role in sensory processing, and how we might formally incorporate tasks into our models of vision.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendrick Kay
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Kathryn Bonnen
- School of Optometry, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Rachel N Denison
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Mike J Arcaro
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
| | - David L Barack
- Departments of Neuroscience and Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19146, USA
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28
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Roberts C, Sahakian BJ, Chen S, Sallie SN, Walker C, White SR, Weber J, Skandali N, Robbins TW, Murray GK. Impact and centrality of attention dysregulation on cognition, anxiety, and low mood in adolescents. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9106. [PMID: 37277504 PMCID: PMC10241800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-34399-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional impairments in cognition are frequently thought to be a feature of individuals with depression or anxiety. However, documented impairments are both broad and inconsistent, with little known about when they emerge, whether they are causes or effects of affective symptoms, or whether specific cognitive systems are implicated. Here, we show, in the adolescent ABCD cohort (N = 11,876), that attention dysregulation is a robust factor underlying wide-ranging cognitive task impairments seen in adolescents with moderate to severe anxiety or low mood. We stratified individuals high in DSM-oriented depression or anxiety symptomology, and low in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as vice versa - demonstrating that those high in depression or anxiety dimensions but low in ADHD symptoms not only exhibited normal task performance across several commonly studied cognitive paradigms, but out-performed controls in several domains, as well as in those low in both dimensions. Similarly, we showed that there were no associations between psychopathological dimensions and performance on an extensive cognitive battery after controlling for attention dysregulation. Further, corroborating previous research, the co-occurrence of attention dysregulation was associated with a wide range of other adverse outcomes, psychopathological features, and executive functioning (EF) impairments. To assess how attention dysregulation relates to and generates diverse psychopathology, we performed confirmatory and exploratory network analysis with different analytic approaches using Gaussian Graphical Models and Directed Acyclic Graphs to examine interactions between ADHD, anxiety, low mood, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), social relationships, and cognition. Confirmatory centrality analysis indicated that features of attention dysregulation were indeed central and robustly connected to a wide range of psychopathological traits across different categories, scales, and time points. Exploratory network analysis indicated potentially important bridging traits and socioenvironmental influences in the relationships between ADHD symptoms and mood/anxiety disorders. Trait perfectionism was uniquely associated with both better cognitive performance and broad psychopathological dimensions. This work suggests that attentional dysregulation may moderate the breadth of EF, fluid, and crystalized cognitive task outcomes seen in adolescents with anxiety and low mood, and may be central to disparate pathological features, and thus a target for attenuating wide-ranging negative developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clark Roberts
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Shuquan Chen
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Columbia University Teachers College, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Clare Walker
- University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Simon R White
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- MRC Biostatistics Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jochen Weber
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nikolina Skandali
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Graham K Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
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29
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Orlando IF, Shine JM, Robbins TW, Rowe JB, O'Callaghan C. Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems take centre stage in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105167. [PMID: 37054802 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Noradrenergic and cholinergic systems are among the most vulnerable brain systems in neuropsychiatric diseases of ageing, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Lewy body dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy. As these systems fail, they contribute directly to many of the characteristic cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. However, their contribution to symptoms is not sufficiently understood, and pharmacological interventions targeting noradrenergic and cholinergic systems have met with mixed success. Part of the challenge is the complex neurobiology of these systems, operating across multiple timescales, and with non-linear changes across the adult lifespan and disease course. We address these challenges in a detailed review of the noradrenergic and cholinergic systems, outlining their roles in cognition and behaviour, and how they influence neuropsychiatric symptoms in disease. By bridging across levels of analysis, we highlight opportunities for improving drug therapies and for pursuing personalised medicine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella F Orlando
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - James M Shine
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, University of Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O'Callaghan
- Brain and Mind Centre and School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia.
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30
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van Heusden E, Olivers CNL, Donk M. The eyes prefer targets nearby fixation: Quantifying eccentricity-dependent attentional biases in oculomotor selection. Vision Res 2023; 205:108177. [PMID: 36669432 DOI: 10.1016/j.visres.2023.108177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
An important function of peripheral vision is to provide the target of the next eye movement. Here we investigate the extent to which the eyes are biased to select a target closer to fixation over one further away. Participants were presented with displays containing two identical singleton targets and were asked to move their eyes to either one of them. The targets could be presented at three different eccentricities relative to central fixation. In one condition both singletons were presented at the same eccentricity, providing an estimate of the speed of selection at each of the eccentricities. The saccadic latency distributions from this same-eccentricity condition were then used to predict the selection bias when both targets were presented at different eccentricities. The results show that when targets are presented at different eccentricities, participants are biased to select the item closest to fixation. This eccentricity-based bias was considerably stronger than predicted on the basis of saccadic latency distributions in the same-eccentricity condition. This rules out speed of processing per se as a sole explanation for such a bias. Instead, the results are consistent with attentional competition being weighted in favour of items close to fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elle van Heusden
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Christian N L Olivers
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mieke Donk
- Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, van der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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31
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Milano BA, Moutoussis M, Convertino L. The neurobiology of functional neurological disorders characterised by impaired awareness. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1122865. [PMID: 37009094 PMCID: PMC10060839 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1122865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We review the neurobiology of Functional Neurological Disorders (FND), i.e., neurological disorders not explained by currently identifiable histopathological processes, in order to focus on those characterised by impaired awareness (functionally impaired awareness disorders, FIAD), and especially, on the paradigmatic case of Resignation Syndrome (RS). We thus provide an improved more integrated theory of FIAD, able to guide both research priorities and the diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We systematically address the diverse spectrum of clinical presentations of FND with impaired awareness, and offer a new framework for understanding FIAD. We find that unraveling the historical development of neurobiological theory of FIAD is of paramount importance for its current understanding. Then, we integrate contemporary clinical material in order to contextualise the neurobiology of FIAD within social, cultural, and psychological perspectives. We thus review neuro-computational insights in FND in general, to arrive at a more coherent account of FIAD. FIAD may be based on maladaptive predictive coding, shaped by stress, attention, uncertainty, and, ultimately, neurally encoded beliefs and their updates. We also critically appraise arguments in support of and against such Bayesian models. Finally, we discuss implications of our theoretical account and provide pointers towards an improved clinical diagnostic formulation of FIAD. We suggest directions for future research towards a more unified theory on which future interventions and management strategies could be based, as effective treatments and clinical trial evidence remain limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Annunziata Milano
- Institute of Life Sciences, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Pisa, Italy
- Faculty of Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Convertino
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- National Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH), London, United Kingdom
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Laura Convertino,
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32
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The role of attention control in visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) studies. Exp Brain Res 2023; 241:1001-1008. [PMID: 36862235 PMCID: PMC10082096 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-023-06573-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
The detection of unattended visual changes is investigated by the visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) component of event-related potentials (ERPs). The vMMN is measured as the difference between the ERPs to infrequent (deviant) and frequent (standard) stimuli irrelevant to the ongoing task. In the present study, we used human faces expressing different emotions as deviants and standards. In such studies, participants perform various tasks, so their attention is diverted from the vMMN-related stimuli. If such tasks vary in their attentional demand, they might influence the outcome of vMMN studies. In this study, we compared four kinds of frequently used tasks: (1) a tracking task that demanded continuous performance, (2) a detection task where the target stimuli appeared at any time, (3) a detection task where target stimuli appeared only in the inter-stimulus intervals, and (4) a task where target stimuli were members of the stimulus sequence. This fourth task elicited robust vMMN, while in the other three tasks, deviant stimuli elicited moderate posterior negativity (vMMN). We concluded that the ongoing task had a marked influence on vMMN; thus, it is important to consider this effect in vMMN studies.
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Moulton RH, Rudie K, Dukelow SP, Benson BW, Scott SH. Capacity Limits Lead to Information Bottlenecks in Ongoing Rapid Motor Behaviors. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0289-22.2023. [PMID: 36858823 PMCID: PMC10012325 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0289-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies of ongoing, rapid motor behaviors have often focused on the decision-making implicit in the task. Here, we instead study how decision-making integrates with the perceptual and motor systems and propose a framework of limited-capacity, pipelined processing with flexible resources to understand rapid motor behaviors. Results from three experiments show that human performance is consistent with our framework: participants perform objectively worse as task difficulty increases, and, surprisingly, this drop in performance is largest for the most skilled performers. As well, our analysis shows that the worst-performing participants can perform equally well under increased task demands, which is consistent with flexible neural resources being allocated to reduce bottleneck effects and improve overall performance. We conclude that capacity limits lead to information bottlenecks and that processes like attention help reduce the effects that these bottlenecks have on maximal performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Hugh Moulton
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Karen Rudie
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- School of Computing, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 2N8, Canada
- Ingenuity Labs Research Institute, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Sean P Dukelow
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Brian W Benson
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Benson Concussion Institute, Calgary, Alberta, AB T3B 6B7, Canada
- Canadian Sport Institute Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, AB T3B 5R5, Canada
| | - Stephen H Scott
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
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Nasiri E, Khalilzad M, Hakimzadeh Z, Isari A, Faryabi-Yousefabad S, Sadigh-Eteghad S, Naseri A. A comprehensive review of attention tests: can we assess what we exactly do not understand? THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2023. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-023-00628-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractAttention, as it is now defined as a process matching data from the environment to the needs of the organism, is one of the main aspects of human cognitive processes. There are several aspects to attention including tonic alertness (a process of intrinsic arousal that varies by minutes to hours), phasic alertness (a process that causes a quick change in attention as a result of a brief stimulus), selective attention (a process differentiating multiple stimuli), and sustained attention (a process maintaining persistence of response and continuous effort over an extended period). Attention dysfunction is associated with multiple disorders; therefore, there has been much effort in assessing attention and its domains, resulting in a battery of tests evaluating one or several attentional domains; instances of which are the Stroop color-word test, Test of Everyday Attention, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. These tests vary in terms of utilities, range of age, and domains. The role of attention in human life and the importance of assessing it merits an inclusive review of the efforts made to assess attention and the resulting tests; Here we highlight all the necessary data regarding neurophysiological tests which assess human attentive function and investigates the evolution of attention tests over time. Also, the ways of assessing the attention in untestable patients who have difficulty in reading or using a computer, along with the lack of ability to comprehend verbal instructions and executive tasks, are discussed. This review can be of help as a platform for designing new studies to researchers who are interested in working on attention and conditions causing deficits in this aspect of body function, by collecting and organizing information on its assessment.
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Makov S, Pinto D, Har-Shai Yahav P, Miller LM, Zion Golumbic E. "Unattended, distracting or irrelevant": Theoretical implications of terminological choices in auditory selective attention research. Cognition 2023; 231:105313. [PMID: 36344304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
For seventy years, auditory selective attention research has focused on studying the cognitive mechanisms of prioritizing the processing a 'main' task-relevant stimulus, in the presence of 'other' stimuli. However, a closer look at this body of literature reveals deep empirical inconsistencies and theoretical confusion regarding the extent to which this 'other' stimulus is processed. We argue that many key debates regarding attention arise, at least in part, from inappropriate terminological choices for experimental variables that may not accurately map onto the cognitive constructs they are meant to describe. Here we critically review the more common or disruptive terminological ambiguities, differentiate between methodology-based and theory-derived terms, and unpack the theoretical assumptions underlying different terminological choices. Particularly, we offer an in-depth analysis of the terms 'unattended' and 'distractor' and demonstrate how their use can lead to conflicting theoretical inferences. We also offer a framework for thinking about terminology in a more productive and precise way, in hope of fostering more productive debates and promoting more nuanced and accurate cognitive models of selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiri Makov
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Danna Pinto
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Paz Har-Shai Yahav
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Lee M Miller
- The Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America; Department of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Elana Zion Golumbic
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel.
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36
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Narhi-Martinez W, Dube B, Golomb JD. Attention as a multi-level system of weights and balances. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1633. [PMID: 36317275 PMCID: PMC9840663 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
This opinion piece is part of a collection on the topic: "What is attention?" Despite the word's place in the common vernacular, a satisfying definition for "attention" remains elusive. Part of the challenge is there exist many different types of attention, which may or may not share common mechanisms. Here we review this literature and offer an intuitive definition that draws from aspects of prior theories and models of attention but is broad enough to recognize the various types of attention and modalities it acts upon: attention as a multi-level system of weights and balances. While the specific mechanism(s) governing the weighting/balancing may vary across levels, the fundamental role of attention is to dynamically weigh and balance all signals-both externally-generated and internally-generated-such that the highest weighted signals are selected and enhanced. Top-down, bottom-up, and experience-driven factors dynamically impact this balancing, and competition occurs both within and across multiple levels of processing. This idea of a multi-level system of weights and balances is intended to incorporate both external and internal attention and capture their myriad of constantly interacting processes. We review key findings and open questions related to external attention guidance, internal attention and working memory, and broader attentional control (e.g., ongoing competition between external stimuli and internal thoughts) within the framework of this analogy. We also speculate about the implications of failures of attention in terms of weights and balances, ranging from momentary one-off errors to clinical disorders, as well as attentional development and degradation across the lifespan. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention Neuroscience > Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Blaire Dube
- The Ohio State University, Department of Psychology
| | - Julie D. Golomb
- Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Julie Golomb, Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210.
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37
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Rust NC, LeDoux JE. The tricky business of defining brain functions. Trends Neurosci 2023; 46:3-4. [PMID: 36428194 DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2022.10.011] [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: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Neuroscience has a long history of investigating the neural correlates of brain functions. One example is fear, which has been studied intensely in a variety of species. In parallel, unease about definitions of brain functions has existed for over 100 years. Because the translational impact of basic research hinges on how we define these functions, these definitions should be carefully considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole C Rust
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Joseph E LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Emotional Brain Institute, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY 10003, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Langone Medical School, New York, NY 10003, USA; London School of Economics, London, UK.
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38
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Mole C, Henry A. What is attention? Adverbialist theories. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1588. [PMID: 35019242 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
This article presents theories of attention that attempt to derive their answer to the question of what attention is from their answers to the question of what it is for some activity to be done attentively. Such theories provide a distinctive account of the difficulties that are faced by the attempt to locate processes in the brain by which the phenomena of attention can be explained. Their account does not share the pessimism of theories suggesting that the concept of attention is defective. Instead it reconstrues the explanatory relationship between attention and the processes that constitute it, in a way that is illustrated here by considering the relationship between attention and the processes that are identified by the biased competition theory. After considering some of the ways in which an adverbialist approach might be developed, the article concludes by suggesting some possible solutions to a problem concerning distraction, by which prominent adverbialist theories of attention have been dogged. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention Philosophy > Metaphysics Philosophy > Foundations of Cognitive Science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Mole
- Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Aaron Henry
- Department of Philosophy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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39
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Trentin C, Slagter HA, Olivers CNL. Visual working memory representations bias attention more when they are the target of an action plan. Cognition 2023; 230:105274. [PMID: 36113256 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105274] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Attention has frequently been regarded as an emergent property of linking sensory representations to action plans. It has recently been proposed that similar mechanisms may operate within visual working memory (VWM), such that linking an object in VWM to an action plan strengthens its sensory memory representation, which then expresses as an attentional bias. Here we directly tested this hypothesis by comparing attentional biases induced by VWM representations which were the target of a future action, to those induced by VWM representations that were equally task-relevant, but not the direct target of action. We predicted that the first condition would result in a more prioritized memory state and hence stronger attentional biases. Specifically, participants memorized a geometric shape for a subsequent memory test. At test, in case of a match, participants either had to perform a grip movement on the matching object (action condition), or perform the same movement, but on an unrelated object (control condition). To assess any attentional biases, during the delay period between memorandum and test, participants performed a visual selection task in which either the target was surrounded by the memorized shape (congruent trials) or a distractor (incongruent trials). Eye movements were measured as a proxy for attentional priority. We found a significant interaction for saccade latencies between action condition and shape congruency, reflecting more pronounced VWM-based attentional biases in the action condition. Our results are consistent with the idea that action plans prioritize sensory representations in VWM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caterina Trentin
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Heleen A Slagter
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian N L Olivers
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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40
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Anderson B. Stop paying attention to "attention". WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1574. [PMID: 34435468 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Conceptual fragmentation is when a term assumed to have one meaning is found to have many. When these different definitions overlap in meaning and application confusion and wasted effort follows. "Attention" is such a fragmented term. The response to conceptual fragmentation is simple. Stop using the original term. Our reticence to do so reflects false beliefs about attention. "Attention" is not an old term, but a modern one. Its original meaning is not related to our contemporary intuitions. Attention is not a necessary concept; psychology made substantial progress, even in cognitive areas, during the years when its use was banished. Attention is just one among many examples of conceptual fragmentation in psychology. The root cause is a dearth of theory driving cognitive experimentation. Theoretical clarity is enhanced when fundamental concepts can be expressed in a mathematical form. When theories are stated in mathematical language it opens the door to rigorous cross-domain comparisons using tools like category theory. This article is categorized under: Psychology > Attention Neuroscience > Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Britt Anderson
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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41
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Watzl S. What attention is. The priority structure account. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2023; 14:e1632. [PMID: 36305589 PMCID: PMC10078238 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
'Everyone knows what attention is' according to William James. Much work on attention in psychology and neuroscience cites this famous phrase only to quickly dismiss it. But James is right about this: 'attention' was not introduced into psychology and neuroscience as a theoretical concept. I argue that we should therefore study attention with broadly the same methodology that David Marr has applied to the study of perception. By focusing more on Marr's Computational Level of analysis, we arrive at a unified answer to the question of what attention is, what role it plays in the mind, and why organisms like us have that capacity. I propose a methodology for studying attention at Marr's Computational Level that optimizes in a three-dimensional space: it should capture core aspects of our first-person experience of attention, be explanatorily powerful in psychology and neuroscience, and fertile in an interdisciplinary context. I show how this methodology leads to what I call the priority structure account of attention. Attention is what organizes current information to make it more useful for the organism. We can identify it by four features. Attention, in this way, helps a cognitive system to integrate its informational state with its current motivational state. I describe how this account improves on alternatives and shows why attention is a useful concept in many disciplines and for connecting them. This article is categorized under: Philosophy > Psychological Capacities Psychology > Attention Philosophy > Foundations of Cognitive Science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Watzl
- Faculty of Humanities, Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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42
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Kaiser Pinotti L, Castro ADS, de Oliveira Garcia GH, Alvim PHP, Roza TH, Andrade FA, Kowacs PA, Massuda R. Executive functions in migraine patients: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2023; 28:52-66. [PMID: 36420996 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2022.2149390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Migraine, a common neurological disease, is known to impact the quality of life of individuals with this condition.Methods: We performed a systematic review with meta-analysis to investigate the abnormalities associated with executive functions of migraineurs as compared with healthy controls. In addition, we investigated the differences between patients with and without aura.Results: A total of 25 studies were included in the systematic review and 19 in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis was conducted using random effects models, with the unit of analysis as the standardised mean difference (calculated as Hedges'g). Patients with migraine had worse performance in the trail making test A (g = 0.40; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.05-0.74; p = 0.0271) and B (g = 0.40; 95% CI 0.16-0.64; p = 0.0026), and digit span backward test (g = -0.20; 95% CI - 0.31, - 0.09; p = 0.0105). Subgroup analysis revealed no difference between migraine with and without aura.Conclusion: These results suggest that migraine patients may present worse performance for specific executive functional domains, including attention, working memory, and mental flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luciane Kaiser Pinotti
- Postgraduate Program in Internal Medicine and Health Sciences (PPGMICS), Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Anderson da Silva Castro
- Complexo Hospital de Cllínicas do Paraná (CHC), Neurology Service, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | | | - Pedro Henrique Pereira Alvim
- Postgraduate Program in Internal Medicine and Health Sciences (PPGMICS), Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Thiago Henrique Roza
- Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Antunes Andrade
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunopathology, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Pedro André Kowacs
- Postgraduate Program in Internal Medicine and Health Sciences (PPGMICS), Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil.,Complexo Hospital de Cllínicas do Paraná (CHC), Neurology Service, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
| | - Raffael Massuda
- Postgraduate Program in Internal Medicine and Health Sciences (PPGMICS), Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brazil
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43
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Hierarchical unimodal processing within the primary somatosensory cortex during a bimodal detection task. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2213847119. [PMID: 36534792 PMCID: PMC9907144 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2213847119] [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: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Do sensory cortices process more than one sensory modality? To answer these questions, scientists have generated a wide variety of studies at distinct space-time scales in different animal models, and often shown contradictory conclusions. Some conclude that this process occurs in early sensory cortices, but others that this occurs in areas central to sensory cortices. Here, we sought to determine whether sensory neurons process and encode physical stimulus properties of different modalities (tactile and acoustic). For this, we designed a bimodal detection task where the senses of touch and hearing compete from trial to trial. Two Rhesus monkeys performed this novel task, while neural activity was recorded in areas 3b and 1 of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1). We analyzed neurons' coding properties and variability, organizing them by their receptive field's position relative to the stimulation zone. Our results indicate that neurons of areas 3b and 1 are unimodal, encoding only the tactile modality in both the firing rate and variability. Moreover, we found that neurons in area 3b carried more information about the periodic stimulus structure than those in area 1, possessed lower response and coding latencies, and had a lower intrinsic time scale. In sum, these differences reveal a hidden processing-based hierarchy. Finally, using a powerful nonlinear dimensionality reduction algorithm, we show that the activity from areas 3b and 1 can be separated, establishing a clear division in the functionality of these two subareas of S1.
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44
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Shine JM. Adaptively navigating affordance landscapes: How interactions between the superior colliculus and thalamus coordinate complex, adaptive behaviour. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104921. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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45
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Kaldas A. Attention: a descriptive taxonomy. HISTORY AND PHILOSOPHY OF THE LIFE SCIENCES 2022; 44:63. [PMID: 36378355 PMCID: PMC9666314 DOI: 10.1007/s40656-022-00538-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The term attention has been used to mean so many different things that some have despaired of it being useful at all. This paper is devoted to bringing a modicum of order to the chaos through the time-honored device of categorization. The chief purpose of this paper is to introduce a comprehensive descriptive taxonomy of the nuanced ways the term attention may be employed. It is presented in table form, followed by elucidations and illustrations of each of its items. But first, I offer reasons why a taxonomy of attention is needed and explore some of its possible benefits. After presenting the taxonomy, I sketch by way of example how it might be applied to two interesting questions: is the umbrella term attention still useful?; and, what is it that ties the subdefinitions of attention together yet distinguishes them from other kinds of cognition?
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonios Kaldas
- Department of Philosophy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
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46
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Vago DR, Farb N, Spreng RN. Clarifying Internally-Directed Cognition: A Commentary on the Attention to Thoughts Model. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2022.2141005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- David R. Vago
- Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee
- Contemplative Sciences Center, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | - Norman Farb
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, Canada
| | - R. Nathan Spreng
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, Montreal Neurological Institute, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Canada
- McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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John YJ, Sawyer KS, Srinivasan K, Müller EJ, Munn BR, Shine JM. It's about time: Linking dynamical systems with human neuroimaging to understand the brain. Netw Neurosci 2022; 6:960-979. [PMID: 36875012 PMCID: PMC9976648 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Most human neuroscience research to date has focused on statistical approaches that describe stationary patterns of localized neural activity or blood flow. While these patterns are often interpreted in light of dynamic, information-processing concepts, the static, local, and inferential nature of the statistical approach makes it challenging to directly link neuroimaging results to plausible underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we argue that dynamical systems theory provides the crucial mechanistic framework for characterizing both the brain's time-varying quality and its partial stability in the face of perturbations, and hence, that this perspective can have a profound impact on the interpretation of human neuroimaging results and their relationship with behavior. After briefly reviewing some key terminology, we identify three key ways in which neuroimaging analyses can embrace a dynamical systems perspective: by shifting from a local to a more global perspective, by focusing on dynamics instead of static snapshots of neural activity, and by embracing modeling approaches that map neural dynamics using "forward" models. Through this approach, we envisage ample opportunities for neuroimaging researchers to enrich their understanding of the dynamic neural mechanisms that support a wide array of brain functions, both in health and in the setting of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yohan J. John
- Neural Systems Laboratory, Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kayle S. Sawyer
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
- Sawyer Scientific, LLC, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Karthik Srinivasan
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Eli J. Müller
- Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Brandon R. Munn
- Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - James M. Shine
- Brain and Mind Center, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Kritikos A, Chandler-Mather N, Sparks S, Welsh T. Biological motion elicits between-person Inhibition of Return in temporal and spatial movement parameters. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2022; 230:103747. [PMID: 36148738 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103747] [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: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study was designed to gain a deeper understanding of the processing of biological motion stimuli. To this end, we investigated if the inhibition of return (IoR) effect emerges in initiation times and trajectories of pointing movements to targets in left and right space where the preceding cues were pointing movement of a human model or a dot with the same biological motion. Targets were randomly presented in the same or opposite side from the direction of the motion cue. It was hypothesised that the visuomotor system should resonate with the biological motion of a dot, but that the human model should exaggerate the effect. Thus, the human model should trigger stronger attention shifts compared with the dot model and lead to more robust IoR effects in both spatial (movement) and temporal parameters of the observer's pointing responses. Initiation times and the spatial parameters (angle of the hand trajectory) of the pointing movements were analysed. Results indicate that facilitation and IoR effects triggered by human and dot stimuli did not differ. Based on these findings, it seems that the crucial feature of motion cues that generate shifts in attention is biological motion, rather than human appearance per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada Kritikos
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Ned Chandler-Mather
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Samuel Sparks
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
| | - Timothy Welsh
- The Centre for Motor Control, Faculty of Kinesiology & Physical Education, University of Toronto, Canada.
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Catch the star! Spatial information activates the manual motor system. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262510. [PMID: 35802609 PMCID: PMC9269453 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research demonstrated a close bidirectional relationship between spatial attention and the manual motor system. However, it is unclear whether an explicit hand movement is necessary for this relationship to appear. A novel method with high temporal resolution–bimanual grip force registration–sheds light on this issue. Participants held two grip force sensors while being presented with lateralized stimuli (exogenous attentional shifts, Experiment 1), left- or right-pointing central arrows (endogenous attentional shifts, Experiment 2), or the words "left" or "right" (endogenous attentional shifts, Experiment 3). There was an early interaction between the presentation side or arrow direction and grip force: lateralized objects and central arrows led to a larger increase of the ipsilateral force and a smaller increase of the contralateral force. Surprisingly, words led to the opposite pattern: larger force increase in the contralateral hand and smaller force increase in the ipsilateral hand. The effect was stronger and appeared earlier for lateralized objects (60 ms after stimulus presentation) than for arrows (100 ms) or words (250 ms). Thus, processing visuospatial information automatically activates the manual motor system, but the timing and direction of this effect vary depending on the type of stimulus.
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Can a Neandertal meditate? An evolutionary view of attention as a core component of general intelligence. INTELLIGENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2022.101668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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