Shifts in spatial attention predict decisions for voluntary action

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Shifts in spatial attention predict decisions for voluntary action Jeff Bednark1*, Michelle Steffens1 and Ross Cunnington1 1 Queensland Brain Institute, Australia Background: Preparatory brain activity begins up to several seconds before the decision to move is consciously perceived. Previous studies have identified brain areas outside of the motor regions that can predict voluntary movement selection. However, it is unclear which non-motor processes underlie this early predictive activity. In the present study, we test the premotor theory of attention, which asserts that covert spatial attention and motor preparation arise from similar neural substrates. Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to investigate the degree of similarity between patterns of neural activity associated with covert shifts in spatial attention and voluntary movement selection. Twenty-four healthy right-handed adults participated in two tasks during brain scanning. To assess spatial attention, participants were cued to direct and hold attention to either their left or right hand, in order to detect frequency changes in vibrotactile stimuli on that hand. This allowed us to identify the pattern of neural activation representing shifts of spatial attention to the left hand and to the right hand. To assess motor activation, participants performed a voluntary action task, in which they freely selected whether to make a button-press with their left or right index finger. Crucially, we then used a form of multivariate pattern analysis, based on fMRI activation Similarity Index, to test whether decisions to move the left hand or right hand in the motor task could be predicted from patterns of activation associated with attending to the left hand or the right hand in the spatial attention task. Results: Analysis revealed that patterns of neural activity associated with covert spatial attention to the cued hand and movements performed on the same side (i.e. attention left and movement left) had a significantly higher Similarity Index than movements performed on the opposite side (i.e. attention left and movement right). Discussion: Our results support the premotor theory of attention. Results suggest that neural processes associated with shifts in spatial attention to the left or right hand also occur when preparing voluntary actions and are predictive of decisions of which hand participants ultimately move. Thus, it appears that spatial attentional processes are a crucial part of voluntary movement selection and performance. Keywords: premotor theory of attention, voluntary movement, fMRI, representational similarity, multivoxel pattern analysis Conference: ACNS-2013 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference, Clayton, Melbourne, Australia, 28 Nov - 1 Dec, 2013. Presentation Type: Oral Topic: Motor Citation: Bednark J, Steffens M and Cunnington R (2013). Shifts in spatial attention predict decisions for voluntary action. Conference Abstract: ACNS-2013 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society Conference. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2013.212.00185 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 15 Oct 2013; Published Online: 25 Nov 2013. * Correspondence: Dr. Jeff Bednark, Queensland Brain Institute, Brisbane, Australia, j.g.bednark@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Jeff Bednark Michelle Steffens Ross Cunnington Google Jeff Bednark Michelle Steffens Ross Cunnington Google Scholar Jeff Bednark Michelle Steffens Ross Cunnington PubMed Jeff Bednark Michelle Steffens Ross Cunnington Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.