Abstract
BackgroundAttention and perception are strongly biased toward information about oneself compared to information about others. The self-attention network, an integrative theoretical framework for understanding the self-prioritization effects (SPE), proposes that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), and the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) are the two nodes responsible for the preferential processing of self-related stimuli, which interact with the attentional control network (associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC), responsible for processing other-related stimuli. So far, neuroimaging studies have provided considerable correlational evidence supporting the self-attention network.ObjectiveHere we went beyond correlational evidence by manipulating cortical activity using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation method. We assessed whether anodal and cathodal stimulation of the VMPFC or the DLPFC modulates the processing of self- and other-related stimuli.MethodsWe used an associative unbiased learning procedure, the so-called shape-label matching task, to assess the SPE in a sample of N = 90. We accomplished to overcome different methodological weaknesses of previous studies using different multichannel montages for excitatory and inhibitory effects over both the VMPFC and the DLPFC.ResultsWe found no effect of shape association for non-matching pairs, whereas there was an effect of shape association in the matching condition. Performance (reaction times and accuracy) was better for the self association than for the other two associations, and performance for the friend association was better than for the stranger association. Thus, we replicated the SPE with behavioral data. At the neural level, none of the stimulation succeeded to modulate the magnitude of the SPE effect.ConclusionWe discuss the implications of these findings, in particular why cognitive modeling theories about SPEs should favor an epiphenomenal rather than a causal link between VMPFC/DLPFC and the impact of personal significance stimuli on perception.
Highlights
There is both behavioral and neural evidence about the ubiquitous and pervasive effects of oneself information on attention and perception
The results show an self-prioritization effect (SPE) that is reflected in reaction times (RTs) and accuracy, with shorter RTs and better accuracy when the stimuli have been previously associated with self (“you”), compared to those that have been associated with a friend or a stranger
We studied whether anodal and cathodal stimulation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) modulates the SPE by using a randomized, doubleblind, sham-controlled, parallel group, online stimulation, and multichannel highdefinition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) design
Summary
There is both behavioral and neural evidence about the ubiquitous and pervasive effects of oneself information on attention and perception. Moray’s pioneering work in Moray, 1959 on selective attention using Cherry’s shadowing task reported that people automatically direct their attention to an auditory unattended source when their own name is presented there, which was not the case with the others’ names This bias for one’s own name has been found with the attentional-blink paradigm (Raymond et al, 1992). As it happens with highly salient stimuli, the attentional blink, i.e., the cost to detect a second target (T2) if a previous one (T1) has been correctly identified, is significantly reduced for one’s name compared to a stranger’s name (Shapiro et al, 1997) These classic effects of self-priority with the own name have an important methodological limitation because they could be intermingled and confounded with the effects of familiarity, emotional significance, or reward value of the stimuli (Northoff and Hayes, 2011; Sui et al, 2012). Neuroimaging studies have provided considerable correlational evidence supporting the self-attention network
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