DOCSLIB.ORG

The Neural Correlates of Endogenously Cued Covert

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Neural Correlates of Endogenously Cued Covert THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF ENDOGENOUSLY CUED COVERT VISUOSPATIAL ATTENTIONAL SHIFTING IN THE CUE-TARGET INTERVAL: AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY by Edward Justin Modestino A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton, FL December 2009 Copyright © Edward Justin Modestino 2009 ii VITA Edward Justin Modestino, son of Louis Anthony Modestino and Elaine Frances Palaima, was born November 05, 1970, in Norwood, Massachusetts. He graduated from Stoughton High School in Stoughton, MA in June 1989. He married Danielle Jean (Guido) Kradin, daughter of Joseph Francis Guido and Carol Anne Kradin, on June 19, 1996. Edward graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychobiology from Harvard in Cambridge, MA in June 1997. His undergraduate thesis, under advisor Michael Hasselmo, D.Phil., was theoretical; it merged neuroscience with clinical neurology on the topic of attention deficit disorder in childhood predisposing to the subsequent development of narcolepsy in adulthood. Next, he entered graduate school at the PENN in Philadelphia, PA, to further explore the theory with Douglas Frye, Ph.D. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Psychobiology in May 1999, and a post-Master’s degree (Master of Philosophy) in Cognitive Neuroscience in May 2001. The focus of his penultimate degree was an fMRI pilot study designed to test his theory using neuroimaging. In August 2001, he entered the Ph.D. program in Complex Systems and Brain Sciences at FAU. Soon thereafter, he began working with Steven Bressler, Ph.D., studying covert visual attentional shifting using EEG. After completing his Ph.D., he will commence a post-doctoral research fellowship at the University of Virginia conducting EEG/neuroimaging research of cognition with Edward Kelly, Ph.D. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express sincere gratefulness to the following people. I am thankful for my wife and mother-in-law for their support and encouragement throughout my extensive education. I am indebted to the following people for tutelage in advanced mathematics and programming in C++ and MATLAB: Drs. Taylor, Vallabha, Almonte, Zanto and Nichols. Additionally, Dr. Winchester went out of her way to help with statistics and tutelage in SPSS. I also am indebted to former DIS student/intern Elise Naimo for assisting in the collection of the data and recruiting subjects in trying and near impossible circumstances. Bill McLean, the Center Engineer with a unique sense of humor, also made it his second job to assist me in testing, fixing, repairing, ordering, and building custom equipment. I am most grateful to Dr. Steven Bressler for being a meticulous scientist and mentoring me to become the same. I am grateful to my dissertation committee members: Dr. Howard Hock for his expertise in psychophysics in relation to my research; Dr. Viktor Jirsa for encouraging me to complete my studies here since the very beginning and his insight into non-linear dynamics and EEG; and Dr. Edward Large for his expertise in EEG and vast knowledge of attentional processes. Finally, I am grateful to my Neuroscience II professor, Dean of the College of Science, Dr. Gary Perry. He has believed in me from the very beginning. His assistance in dealing with red tape, administrative and otherwise, has been invaluable. v ABSTRACT Author: Edward Justin Modestino Title: The Neural Correlates of Endogenously Cued Covert Visuospatial Attentional Shifting in the Cue-Target Interval: An Electroencephalographic Study Institution: Florida Atlantic University Dissertation Advisor: Dr. Steven L. Bressler Degree: Doctor of Philosophy Year: 2009 This study investigated electroencephalographic differences related to cue (central left- or right-directed arrows) in a covert endogenous visual spatial attention task patterned after that of Hopf and Mangun (2000). This was done with the intent of defining the timing of components in relation to cognitive processes within the cue- target interval. Multiple techniques were employed to do this. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were examined using Independent Component Analysis. This revealed a significant N1, between 100:200 ms post-cue, greater contralateral to the cue. Difference wave ERPs, left minus right cue-locked data, divulged significant early directing attention negativity (EDAN) at 200:400 ms post-cue in the right posterior which reversed polarity in the left posterior. Temporal spectral evolution (TSE) analysis of the alpha band revealed three stages, (1) high bilateral alpha precue to 120 ms post-cue, (2) an event related desynchronization (ERD) from approximately 120 ms: vi 500 ms post-cue, and (3) an event related synchronization (ERS) rebound, 500: 900 ms post-cue, where alpha amplitude, a measure of activity, was highest contralateral to the ignored hemifield and lower contralateral to the attended hemifield. Using a combination of all of these components and scientific literature in this field, it is possible to plot out the time course of the cognitive events and their neural correlates. vii DEDICATION This manuscript is dedicated to my wife, Danielle Jean Kradin. In this world of chaos, filled with negative and selfish people, she is the one person upon whom I can rely. She has made my life worth living. Additionally, this is dedicated to my maternal grandmother, Helen Pacewicz Palaima, who died on my 8th birthday. Because of her, I took guitar lessons and studied the French language to an advanced level. Although I did not know her very long, she instilled in me the passion and desire to learn and obtain an education. Without her influence during those early years, my life may have gone in a different direction. Finally, this manuscript is dedicated to one of the best feline friends a man could ever have, Nigel Kradin-Modestino. He died unexpectedly of a horrific stroke on one of the very last days I was working on my dissertation. THE NEURAL CORRELATES OF ENOGENOUSLY CUED COVERT VISUOSPATIAL ATTENTIONAL SHIFTING IN THE CUE-TARGET INTERVAL: AN ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC STUDY LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xi LIST OF FIGURES ......................................................................................................... xiii 1.0 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Motivation ....................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Background ...................................................................................................... 2 1.2a Cognitive Studies of Covert Visual Attention .................................... 2 1.2b Neural Network of Covert Visual Attention ....................................... 7 1.2c Visual ERPS and Covert Attentional Shifting with the Posner Paradigm .......................................................................................... 16 1.3 Hypotheses ..................................................................................................... 26 1.3a Posner Task ....................................................................................... 26 1.3b Cue Contrast ..................................................................................... 27 1.4 Overview ......................................................................................................... 27 1.4a Content of Dissertation ..................................................................... 27 1.4b Outline of Chapters ........................................................................... 27 2.0 Methods ...................................................................................................................... 29 2.1 Participant Screening and Recruitment ........................................................... 29 2.2 Experimental Design and Task ........................................................................ 30 viii 2.3 Behavioral Analysis ......................................................................................... 44 2.3a Behavioral Recording ....................................................................... 44 2.3b Behavioral Data Processing .............................................................. 44 2.3c Behavioral Statistical Analysis ......................................................... 44 2.4 EOG Analysis .................................................................................................. 46 2.4a EOG Processing ................................................................................ 46 2.5 EEG Analysis .................................................................................................. 47 2.5a EEG Recording ................................................................................. 47 2.5b EEG Data Processing ........................................................................ 50 2.5c EEG Statistical Analysis ................................................................... 56 3.0 Results ........................................................................................................................ 57 3.1 Behavioral Data ............................................................................................... 57 3.2 Grand Averaged ERPs ....................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Neural Measures of Visual Attention and Suppression As Biomarkers for ADHD- Associated Inattention
    Neural Measures of Visual Attention and Suppression as Biomarkers for ADHD- associated Inattention Rebecca Elizabeth Townley PhD University of York Psychology August 2019 Abstract Abstract Whilst there is a wealth of literature examining neural differences in those with ADHD, few have investigated visual-associated regions. Given extensive evidence demonstrating visual-attention deficits in ADHD, it is possible that inattention problems may be associated with functional abnormalities within the visual system. By measuring neural responses across the visual system during visual-attentional tasks, we aim to explore the relationship between visual processing and ADHD-associated Inattention in the typically developed population. We first explored whether differences in neural responses occurred within the superior colliculus (SC); an area linked to distractibility and attention. Here we found that Inattention traits positively correlated with SC activity, but only when distractors were presented in the right visual field (RVF) and not the left visual field (LVF). Our later work followed up on these findings to investigate separate responses towards task-relevant targets and irrelevant, peripheral distractors. Findings showed that those with High Inattention exhibited increased responses towards distractors compared to targets, while those with Low Inattention showed the opposite effect. Hemifield differences were also observed where those with High Inattention showed increased RVF distractor-related signals compared to those with Low Inattention. No differences were observed for the LVF. Finally, we examined attention and suppression-related neural responses. Our results indicated that, while attentional responses were similar between Inattention groups, those with High Inattention showed weaker suppression responses towards the unattended RVF. No differences were found when suppressing the LVF.
    [Show full text]
  • Neuromodulation of Prefrontal Cortex Cognitive Function in Primates: the Powerful Roles of Monoamines and Acetylcholine ✉ Roshan Cools1 and Amy F
    www.nature.com/npp REVIEW ARTICLE OPEN Neuromodulation of prefrontal cortex cognitive function in primates: the powerful roles of monoamines and acetylcholine ✉ Roshan Cools1 and Amy F. T. Arnsten 2 © The Author(s) 2021 The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) subserves our highest order cognitive operations, and yet is tremendously dependent on a precise neurochemical environment for proper functioning. Depletion of noradrenaline and dopamine, or of acetylcholine from the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC), is as devastating as removing the cortex itself, and serotonergic influences are also critical to proper functioning of the orbital and medial PFC. Most neuromodulators have a narrow inverted U dose response, which coordinates arousal state with cognitive state, and contributes to cognitive deficits with fatigue or uncontrollable stress. Studies in monkeys have revealed the molecular signaling mechanisms that govern the generation and modulation of mental representations by the dlPFC, allowing dynamic regulation of network strength, a process that requires tight regulation to prevent toxic actions, e.g., as occurs with advanced age. Brain imaging studies in humans have observed drug and genotype influences on a range of cognitive tasks and on PFC circuit functional connectivity, e.g., showing that catecholamines stabilize representations in a baseline- dependent manner. Research in monkeys has already led to new treatments for cognitive disorders in humans, encouraging future research in this important field. Neuropsychopharmacology; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41386-021-01100-8 INTRODUCTION Importantly, these modulatory actions appear to vary based on PFC The primate prefrontal cortex (PFC) has the extraordinary ability to subregion, circuit, cell-type, and receptor, with no universal actions.
    [Show full text]
  • Shifting Visual Attention Between Objects and Locations: Evidence from Normal and Parietal Lesion Subjects
    Journal of Experimental Psychology: General Copyright 1994 by the American Psychological Association, Inc. 1994, Vol. 123, No. 2. 161-177 0096-3445/94^3.00 Shifting Visual Attention Between Objects and Locations: Evidence From Normal and Parietal Lesion Subjects Robert Egly, Jon Driver, and Robert D. Rafal Space- and object-based attention components were examined in neurologically normal and parietal-lesion subjects, who detected a luminance change at 1 of 4 ends of 2 outline rectangles. One rectangle end was precued (75% valid); on invalid-cue trials, the target appeared at the other end of the cued rectangle or at 1 end of the uncued rectangle. For normals, the cost for invalid cues was greater for targets in the uncued rectangle, indicating an object-based component. Both right- and left-hemisphere patients showed costs that were greater for contralesional targets. For right- hemisphere patients, the object cost was equivalent for contralesional and ipsilesional targets, indicating a spatial deficit, whereas the object cost for left-hemisphere patients was larger for contralesional targets, indicating an object deficit. Selective attention allows us to pick out and respond to field; the analogy of a spotlight is often suggested (e.g., relevant information while ignoring the myriad distracting LaBerge, 1983; Posner, 1980). In contrast, object-based stimuli in cluttered visual scenes. Several decades of intense models suggest that attention is directed to the candidate research have substantially advanced our understanding of objects (or perceptual groups) that result from a preattentive the operations and neural mechanisms of selective attention. segmentation of the visual scene in accordance with group- There is now broad agreement that, although attention may ing principles (e.g., Driver & Baylis, 1989; Duncan, 1984).
    [Show full text]
  • The Cognitive Neuroscience of Visual Attention Marlene Behrmann* and Craig Haimson†
    nb9208.qxd 12/17/1999 2:55 PM Page 158 158 The cognitive neuroscience of visual attention Marlene Behrmann* and Craig Haimson† In current conceptualizations of visual attention, selection takes comitant decrease in processing other, nonselected por- place through integrated competition between recurrently tions of input. connected visual processing networks. Selection, which facilitates the emergence of a ‘winner’ from among many A state of competition between different possible inputs potential targets, can be associated with particular spatial supplanted the need for a discrete filtering process. In sim- locations or object properties, and it can be modulated by both ple competition models, the input receiving the greatest stimulus-driven and goal-driven factors. Recent neurobiological proportion of resources (e.g. as a result of more salient bot- data support this account, revealing the activation of striate tom-up attributes) would be most completely analyzed, and and extrastriate brain regions during conditions of competition. the contents of this analysis would be communicated to fur- In addition, parietal and temporal cortices play a role in ther stages of processing. A specialized attentional selection, biasing the ultimate outcome of the competition. mechanism that could alter the distribution of these resources could, in essence, facilitate the processing of the Addresses information in a portion of input by providing it with addi- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University and The Center tional support and biasing competition in its favour. How for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Carnegie Mellon University, such a mechanism might identify a discrete portion of input Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213-3890, USA for preferential processing continues to be the source of *e-mail: [email protected] †e-mail: [email protected] considerable debate, as some studies implicated a mecha- nism that selected input associated with a specific set of Current Opinion in Neurobiology 1999, 9:158–163 spatial locations (see e.g.
    [Show full text]
  • The Role of Inhibition of Retrirn in Visrtol Search Fulfillment O T' The
    University of Alberta The role of inhibition of retrirn in visrtol search by Janice Jacqueline Snyder 0 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial Fulfillment O t' the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Psychology Edmonton, Alberta Fa11 2000 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 141 du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services senrices bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue welrigtori OttawaON K1AON4 CXbwaON KlAW Canada canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Lamy of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distn'bute or sell reproduire, prêter, distn'buer ou copies of this thesis in microforrn, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/^ de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial exûacts fkom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Abstract My dissertation research is aimed at understanding the attentional mechanisrns that mediate visual search. More specifically. my research focuses on a phenornenon called inhibition of return (IOR) where people are slower to respond to a stimulus if it is presented in a location that was previously attended. This del. in response timc (Rn is thought to reflect a bias to attend novel locations which, in tum, should serve to improve visual search efficiency.
    [Show full text]
  • Anatomy of Attentional Networks
    THE ANATOMICAL RECORD (PART B: NEW ANAT.) 281B:21–36, 2004 FEATURE ARTICLE Anatomy of Attentional Networks AMIR RAZ Attention is a central theme in psychological science. As with other biological systems, attention has a distinct anatomy that carries out basic psychological functions. Disparate attentional networks correlate with discrete neural circuitry and can be influenced by specific brain injuries, states, and drugs. Accordingly, thinking about attention as an organ system is advantageous for understanding the details of this complex cognitive process. In the context of an influential model of attention, this article introduces the broad notion of attention, then addresses its prominent characteristics, mechanisms, and theories. The presentation emphasizes the role of recent neuroimaging data in outlining the functional neuroanatomy subserving distinct attentional networks. A discussion of pertinent results connects attentional networks with self-regulation, development, and rehabilitation training. Anat Rec (Part B: New Anat) 281B:21–36, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. KEY WORDS: attentional networks; imaging; neuroimaging; cognitive control; neuroscience; hemispheres INTRODUCTION one out of what seem several simulta- plying formal information theory, neous objects or trains of thought.” Broadbent likened attention to a filter. One of the oldest and most central James’ account strongly joins atten- He proposed that attention was issues in psychological science, atten- tion with subjective experience. More- bounded by the amount of informa- tion is the process of selecting for ac- over, James’s addressing of attention tive processing ideas stored in mem- tion located between parallel sensory both to objects and to “trains of ory in our minds, or aspects of our systems and a limited-capacity per- thought” is important for understand- physical environment, such as ob- ceptual system (Broadbent, 1958).
    [Show full text]
  • Internal Vs. External Attention and the Neurocognitive Processes of Subsequent Memory
    Internal vs. External Attention and the Neurocognitive Processes of Subsequent Memory Sade Abiodun Neuroscience Graduation with Distinction Honors Thesis Duke University Durham, North Carolina 2018 ATTENTION AND MEMORY | Abiodun 1 Abstract: The capacity to store large amounts of information is increasingly relevant in today’s data-saturated society. Two subtypes of our attentional mechanisms are known as internal and external attention, and are respectively characterized by the way we externally attend to relevant sensory information and how we focus inwardly to process and generate mental interpretations of this information. The nature of both external and internal attention and their respective roles in the perception and mental consolidation of sensory information have become integral components of the discussion of learning mechanisms, illustrating the importance of both the initial presentation and subsequent reproduction of stimuli over the course of encoding. We aim to look at the correlation between these two subtypes of attention and successful encoding and retrieval by eliciting steady-state visually evoked potentials (SSVEP) – notable EEG spikes that coincide with the specific frequency of stimuli presentation – during a visual memory task. Improved memory performance was found to increase alongside with image vividness, and SSVEPs were shown to serve as a reliable marker of attentional diversion from external stimuli during internal visualization processes, with greater decreases in SSVEP power corresponding with subsequently remembered words in comparison to forgotten words. Using high temporally resolute EEG, we hope to uncover whether shifts in attentional loci reflect in differences in our memory performance. ATTENTION AND MEMORY | Abiodun 2 INTRODUCTION In today’s data saturated world, the ability to learn and proficiently retain information is integral for staying up to date and to achieve one’s behavioral goals.
    [Show full text]
  • Visual Attention: Linking Prefrontal Sources to Neuronal and Behavioral
    Progress in Neurobiology 132 (2015) 59–80 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Progress in Neurobiology jo urnal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/pneurobio Review Article Visual attention: Linking prefrontal sources to neuronal and behavioral correlates a b,c d a, Kelsey Clark , Ryan Fox Squire , Yaser Merrikhi , Behrad Noudoost * a Montana State University, Bozeman, MT, United States b Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States c Lumos Labs, San Francisco, CA, United States d School of Cognitive Sciences (SCS), Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article history: Attention is a means of flexibly selecting and enhancing a subset of sensory input based on the current Received 31 December 2014 behavioral goals. Numerous signatures of attention have been identified throughout the brain, and now Received in revised form 25 June 2015 experimenters are seeking to determine which of these signatures are causally related to the behavioral Accepted 28 June 2015 benefits of attention, and the source of these modulations within the brain. Here, we review the neural Available online 6 July 2015 signatures of attention throughout the brain, their theoretical benefits for visual processing, and their experimental correlations with behavioral performance. We discuss the importance of measuring cue Keywords: benefits as a way to distinguish between impairments on an attention task, which may instead be visual Prefrontal cortex or motor impairments, and true attentional deficits. We examine evidence for various areas proposed as Visuospatial attention sources of attentional modulation within the brain, with a focus on the prefrontal cortex.
    [Show full text]