A neuromagnetic study of selective auditory attention

Neural Effects of Nicotine during Auditory Selective Attention in Smokers: An Event-Related Potential Study

“…In contrast to placebo, which prolonged Nde, nicotine resulted in signifi cantly shorter Nde latencies than those observed pre-nicotine and post-placebo. Although the early Nd temporally overlaps with the N100, it is still controversial as to whether it refl ects genuine enhancement of one or more N100 subcomponents or is a distinct process refl ecting voluntary maintenance of a selective attentional trace [18] , a suggestion which is supported by reports of its unique generator source [66] , scalp topography [67] and functional relationships to stimulus features [18] . Despite this uncertainty, the fact that Nde is generated via selective attending, and its time to reach peak amplitude is accelerated with nicotine, supports the stimulus-fi lter hypothesis of enhanced attentional focusing in that smoking may enhance attention by speeding the rate of processing underlying early input selection of relevant stimuli.…”

Emotionally negative pictures increase attention to a subsequent auditory stimulus

“…Attention to the tones was assessed by ERP components that are sensitive to selective attention: the N1 and processing negativity (Naatanen, 1992). Processing negativity is thought to be generated in the supratemporal auditory cortex and is associated with orienting attention to a relevant stimulus (Arthur et al, 1991;Hari et al, 1989;Naatanen and Michie, 1979). We specifically focused on the late processing negativity which is thought to be influenced by frontal lobe processing, and here, likely reflects further auditory stimulus evaluation (Alho, 1992).…”

Evaluation of missing fundamental phenomenon with auditory selective attention in the human auditory cortex

“…On the other hand, at N100, the ECD in the attention task tended to locate in front from that of the no attention task, although it was within the error range of MEG measuring (Table 1). Arthur et al [12] reported that ECD for auditory attention were localized anterior to ECD for the no attention task in the human posterior regions of the sylvian fissure. If there is a component of auditory selective attention ECD in the front of primary auditory cortex, ECD of MFP would be falsely transferred to the front in the attention task.…”

“…It is also reported that auditory selective attention probably occurs in the human auditory cortex [12,13]. But the relation between attention effect and MFP is uncertain.…”