Abstract
That attention is a fundamentally rhythmic process has recently received abundant empirical evidence. The essence of temporal attention, however, is to flexibly focus in time. Whether this function is constrained by an underlying rhythmic neural mechanism is unknown. In six interrelated experiments, we behaviourally quantify the sampling capacities of periodic temporal attention during auditory or visual perception. We reveal the presence of limited attentional capacities, with an optimal sampling rate of ~1.4 Hz in audition and ~0.7 Hz in vision. Investigating the motor contribution to temporal attention, we show that it scales with motor rhythmic precision, maximal at ~1.7 Hz. Critically, motor modulation is beneficial to auditory but detrimental to visual temporal attention. These results are captured by a computational model of coupled oscillators, that reveals the underlying structural constraints governing the temporal alignment between motor and attention fluctuations.
Highlights
That attention is a fundamentally rhythmic process has recently received abundant empirical evidence
Previous studies showed that overtly moving during an auditory attention task improves perceptual performance[21,22]. These experiments were performed at 1.5 Hz, which both corresponds to the rhythm classically used to investigate periodic temporal attention and to the natural rate of rhythmic movements
We developed a paradigm to behaviourally quantify the sampling capacities of periodic temporal attention during auditory and visual perception
Summary
That attention is a fundamentally rhythmic process has recently received abundant empirical evidence. The essence of temporal attention, is to flexibly focus in time Whether this function is constrained by an underlying rhythmic neural mechanism is unknown. We behaviourally quantify the sampling capacities of periodic temporal attention during auditory or visual perception. 1234567890():,; Adapting our behaviour according to external stimuli requires extraction of relevant sensory information over time[1] This ability relies on the capacity to flexibly adapt and adjust our temporal attention to the natural dynamics of the environment. Previous studies showed that overtly moving during an auditory attention task improves perceptual performance[21,22] These experiments were performed at 1.5 Hz, which both corresponds to the rhythm classically used to investigate periodic temporal attention and to the natural rate of rhythmic movements. One could hypothesise that temporal attention is not rate-restricted but that it is the motor benefit to temporal attention that is restricted around this rate
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