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Orienting attention to points in time improves stimulus processing both within and across modalities.
J Cogn Neurosci. 2006 May; 18(5):715-29.JC

Abstract

Spatial attention affects the processing of stimuli of both a task-relevant and a task-irrelevant modality. The present study investigated if similar cross-modal effects exist when attention is oriented to a point in time. Short (600 msec) and long (1,200 msec) empty intervals, marked by a tactile onset and an auditory or a tactile offset marker, were presented. In each block, the participants had to attend one interval and one modality. Event-related potentials (ERPs) to auditory and tactile offset markers of attended as compared to unattended intervals were characterized by an enhancement of early negative deflections of the auditory and somatosensory ERPs (audition, 100-140 msec; touch, 130-180 msec) when audition or touch was task relevant, respectively. Similar effects were found for auditory stimuli when touch was task relevant. An additional reaction time experiment revealed faster responses to both auditory and tactile stimuli at the attended as compared to the unattended point in time, irrespective of which modality was primary. Both behavioral and ERP data show that attention can be focused on a point in time, which results in a more efficient processing of auditory and tactile stimuli. The ERP data further suggest that a relative enhancement at perceptual processing stages contributes to the processing advantage for temporally attended stimuli. The existence of cross-modal effects of temporal attention underlines the importance of time as a feature for binding input across different modalities.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Lange K
Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Röder B
No affiliation info available

MeSH

Acoustic StimulationAdultAnalysis of VarianceAttentionAuditory PerceptionBrain MappingElectroencephalographyEvoked Potentials, AuditoryEvoked Potentials, SomatosensoryFemaleFunctional LateralityHumansMaleOrientationReaction TimeTime FactorsTouch

Pub Type(s)

Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

16768372

Citation

Lange, Kathrin, and Brigitte Röder. "Orienting Attention to Points in Time Improves Stimulus Processing Both Within and Across Modalities." Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, vol. 18, no. 5, 2006, pp. 715-29.
Lange K, Röder B. Orienting attention to points in time improves stimulus processing both within and across modalities. J Cogn Neurosci. 2006;18(5):715-29.
Lange, K., & Röder, B. (2006). Orienting attention to points in time improves stimulus processing both within and across modalities. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18(5), 715-29.
Lange K, Röder B. Orienting Attention to Points in Time Improves Stimulus Processing Both Within and Across Modalities. J Cogn Neurosci. 2006;18(5):715-29. PubMed PMID: 16768372.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Orienting attention to points in time improves stimulus processing both within and across modalities. AU - Lange,Kathrin, AU - Röder,Brigitte, PY - 2006/6/14/pubmed PY - 2006/9/15/medline PY - 2006/6/14/entrez SP - 715 EP - 29 JF - Journal of cognitive neuroscience JO - J Cogn Neurosci VL - 18 IS - 5 N2 - Spatial attention affects the processing of stimuli of both a task-relevant and a task-irrelevant modality. The present study investigated if similar cross-modal effects exist when attention is oriented to a point in time. Short (600 msec) and long (1,200 msec) empty intervals, marked by a tactile onset and an auditory or a tactile offset marker, were presented. In each block, the participants had to attend one interval and one modality. Event-related potentials (ERPs) to auditory and tactile offset markers of attended as compared to unattended intervals were characterized by an enhancement of early negative deflections of the auditory and somatosensory ERPs (audition, 100-140 msec; touch, 130-180 msec) when audition or touch was task relevant, respectively. Similar effects were found for auditory stimuli when touch was task relevant. An additional reaction time experiment revealed faster responses to both auditory and tactile stimuli at the attended as compared to the unattended point in time, irrespective of which modality was primary. Both behavioral and ERP data show that attention can be focused on a point in time, which results in a more efficient processing of auditory and tactile stimuli. The ERP data further suggest that a relative enhancement at perceptual processing stages contributes to the processing advantage for temporally attended stimuli. The existence of cross-modal effects of temporal attention underlines the importance of time as a feature for binding input across different modalities. SN - 0898-929X UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/16768372/Orienting_attention_to_points_in_time_improves_stimulus_processing_both_within_and_across_modalities_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -