The neural dynamics of temporal attention: Evidence from EEG and fMRI

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event The neural dynamics of temporal attention: Evidence from EEG and fMRI Chase S. Sherwell1* and Ross Cunnington1, 2 1 Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Australia 2 School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia Behaviour is not only affected by where and what we attend to, but also when we pay attention. Directing attention to specific points in time can speed motor responses and enhance sensory processing of predicted events. Temporal orienting has been shown to activate a left lateralised fronto-parietal network and elicit a slow-rising negativity recorded over the motor cortex associated with motor orienting and preparation. We aimed to dissociate temporal orienting from motor preparation by utilising a paradigm without speeded motor responses, examining neural processes with both EEG and fMRI in separate studies. Participants performed a difficult grating orientation discrimination task where stimulus onset followed either a short or long delay. Predictability was manipulated by providing cues that reliably informed participants of the time of stimulus onset or provided no temporal information. Orientation of grating stimuli was identified more accurately when onset was cued than when uncued. EEG results found neural responses to temporally predictable stimuli were enhanced and preceded by a slow-rising negativity over motor areas, peaking at the time of stimulus onset. The amplitude of this contingent negative variation (CNV) was significantly greater when stimulus onset was accurately predicted by an informative cue. Functional MRI results replicated the activation of the left fronto-parietal network typically seen in temporal orienting tasks. Further, the ability to orient attention to an expected stimulus onset selectively activated basal ganglia and supplementary motor areas (SMA) in the absence of motor preparation. We suggest activation of secondary motor areas during effective temporal orienting and the slow increase in neural activity observed in the CNV, similar to that seen during motor planning, demonstrates a crucial role of the SMA and basal ganglia in attentional timing independent of motor preparation. Keywords: Temporal orienting, timing, selective attention, Contingent Negative Variation (CNV), Supplementary motor area (SMA), Basal Ganglia, frontoparietal, motor preparation, EEG, fMRI Conference: ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 29 Nov - 2 Dec, 2012. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Attention Citation: Sherwell CS and Cunnington R (2012). The neural dynamics of temporal attention: Evidence from EEG and fMRI. Conference Abstract: ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference. doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2012.208.00082 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: 26 Oct 2012; Published Online: 07 Nov 2012. * Correspondence: Mr. Chase S Sherwell, Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, c.sherwell@uq.edu.au 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 Chase S Sherwell Ross Cunnington Google Chase S Sherwell Ross Cunnington Google Scholar Chase S Sherwell Ross Cunnington PubMed Chase S Sherwell 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.