Selective Attention NBEE 5700 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience

+ Selective Attention NBE-E 5700 Introduction to Cognitive Neuroscience Anna Äimälä 2. 2. 2016

+ Attention! n Focus on one train of thought from several possible ones, concentration of consciousness n Selective attention n n How is the brain able to filter certain information and not get distracted by others? n Amount of stimuli is larger than what we can attend to Split attention, shifting vs sustaining attention n n Choosing between alternatives, shifting focus Involuntary attention: how the unattended is processed

+ Internal models guide attention n Schemas affect how we see the world n Top-down models n Bottom-up models n Guiding eye movements when collecting visual information n When viewing faces, we focus on the mouth and eyes

+ n Selective attention test: https: //www. youtube. com/watch? v=rj. Gmmpoj 6 CQ https: //xavierappsychology. wikispaces. com/file/view/ http: //www. optical-illusionist. com/imagefiles/younggirloldwoman. jpg

+ Selective attention n Behavioral and neuroimaging studies, dichotic listening studies n Law of prior entry, attentional spotlight n Early selection: unattended inputs processed to a limited degree n n Top-down inputs can modulate stimulus processing quickly Late selection: unattended inputs processed to semantic level n High order brain areas respond to unattended stimuli n f. MRI studies: modulation of hemodynamic activity in secondary but not in primary sensory areas http: //www. simplypsychology. org/attention-models. html

+ n Gain-enhancement model n n n Augmenting relevant and suppressing irrelevant stimuli Retuning receptive fields n Spectrotemporal receptive fields modulated n Studies in primary auditory cortex, does it apply to other senses? n Supports early selection model How does it work in humans? n Retuning when stimuli are partially overlapping in the same receptive fields

+ Involuntary attention n Brain keeps guard on possibly significant events n Auditory modality n n Cortical neurons adapt n Notice unattended sounds that are different Emotionally significant stimuli

+ Where does this happen? n Sensory information: dorsal posterior parietal (intraparietal sulcus) and frontal cortex, occipital areas (fusifrom) n Also the location of attention: parietal and frontal regions n Dorsal frontoparietal network: visuospatial attention http: //i. livescience. com/images/i/000/005/927/i 02/050316_brain_generic_02. jpg? 1296085778 https: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/7/7 e/Gray 727_fusiform_gyrus. png https: //upload. wikimedia. org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2 a/Gray 726_intraparietal_sulcus. svg/250 px-Gray 726_intraparietal_sulcus. svg. png

+ n Shifting attention n n Dorsolateral prefrontal cortical & posterior parietal areas n Superior areas in posterior parietal cortex: transitions n Inferior areas: maintaining focus Basal ganglia, thalamus level n Direct pathway releases inhibition, indirect pathway inhibits competing inputs http: //www. brainclinics. com/dynamic/media/1/images/r. TMS/DLPFC_Left. jpg, http: //o. quizlet. com/yg 8 KRa. JVOw 1 CZhv. NNVI 6 Q_m. png

+ http: //aprilmaynjune. weebly. com/uploads/8/4/1/9/8419682/3049266_orig. png

+ Damaging attention n Psychological n Schizophrenia n Depression: lack of attention n ADHD n Parkinson: Shifting attention n Lesions: n Damage to right parietal lobe: Unilateral neglect syndrome n Damage to temporo-parietal junction: Agnosia and prosopagnosia http: //www. stlneurotherapy. com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/blog-post-image-brain-m, http: //what-when-how. com/neuroscience/the -upper-motor-neurons-motor-systems-part-2/

+ n Deficits in attention can make everyday activities difficult or impossible n Attention affects memory and thus shaping of what we are n n Spatial rehearsal depends on spatial attention Still a central research question in cognitive neuroscience Thank you! Any questions? https: //s-media-cache-ak 0. pinimg. com/736 x/2 f/c 6/a 7/2 fc 6 a 72 fb 42 e 739 a 62 e 18 ae 64 d 476 b 6 c. jpg