How Attention Affects Our Senses
Author Information
Author(s): Jennifer L Mozolic, David Joyner, Christina E Hugenschmidt, Ann M Peiffer, Robert A Kraft, Joseph A Maldjian, Paul J Laurienti
Primary Institution: Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Hypothesis
Suppression of sensory cortices during modality-specific selective attention would be evident in deactivations of the unattended sensory cortex during presentation of the cue alone.
Conclusion
Modality-specific selective attention results in behavioral decrements in unattended sensory modalities.
Supporting Evidence
- Attention to a single sensory modality can result in decreased activity in cortical regions that process information from an unattended sensory modality.
- Behavioral experiments demonstrate that the primary effect of modality-specific attention is decreased processing of stimuli in an unattended modality.
- The imaging results provide a neural signature (cross-modal deactivation) for modality-specific selective attention.
Takeaway
When we focus on one sense, like hearing, it can make it harder to notice things with our other senses, like seeing.
Methodology
Functional MRI data were collected in 15 participants who completed a cued detection paradigm to assess the effects of modality-specific attention.
Limitations
The study design required fewer no-target trials than trials where the target is present, which may have reduced the detectibility of attention-mediated changes.
Participant Demographics
15 adult volunteers (6 men, 9 women), age 21 to 30 (mean age, 23).
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.003
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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