Early visual cortex dynamics during top–down modulated shifts of feature-selective attention

Müller, M. M., Trautmann, M. and Keitel, C. (2016) Early visual cortex dynamics during top–down modulated shifts of feature-selective attention. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 28(4), pp. 643-655. (doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00912) (PMID:26696296)

Abstract

Shifting attention from one color to another color or from color to another feature dimension such as shape or orientation is imperative when searching for a certain object in a cluttered scene. Most attention models that emphasize feature-based selection implicitly assume that all shifts in feature-selective attention underlie identical temporal dynamics. Here, we recorded time courses of behavioral data and steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs), an objective electrophysiological measure of neural dynamics in early visual cortex to investigate temporal dynamics when participants shifted attention from color or orientation toward color or orientation, respectively. SSVEPs were elicited by four random dot kinematograms that flickered at different frequencies. Each random dot kinematogram was composed of dashes that uniquely combined two features from the dimensions color (red or blue) and orientation (slash or backslash). Participants were cued to attend to one feature (such as color or orientation) and respond to coherent motion targets of the to-be-attended feature. We found that shifts toward color occurred earlier after the shifting cue compared with shifts toward orientation, regardless of the original feature (i.e., color or orientation). This was paralleled in SSVEP amplitude modulations as well as in the time course of behavioral data. Overall, our results suggest different neural dynamics during shifts of attention from color and orientation and the respective shifting destinations, namely, either toward color or toward orientation.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (MU 972/20-1 and, in parts, by DFG Graduiertenkolleg “Function of attention”).
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Keitel, Dr Christian
• Authors: Müller, M. M., Trautmann, M., and Keitel, C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
• Publisher: Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press
• ISSN: 0898-929X
• ISSN (Online): 1530-8898
• Published Online: 29 February 2016
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2016 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• First Published: First published in Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 28(4): 643-655
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy