Electrical stimulation of alpha oscillations stabilizes performance on visual attention tasks.

Clayton, Michael S.; Yeung, Nick; Kadosh, Roi Cohen

doi:10.1037/xge0000502

Cited by 46 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 82 publications

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“…Rather than playing a role in inhibition per se, alpha oscillations may thus enhance tuning to task‐relevant features in visual regions by selectively suppressing the activity of neurons tuned to other features. Interestingly, and furthermore in line with this possibility, recent studies have related increased alpha‐band activity to more stable visual percepts, leading to the proposal that alpha oscillations may not signal inhibition of cortical activity per se, but stabilization of the current configuration of neuronal activity . From this perspective, the observed distractor location learning–related increase in prestimulus alpha activity in the study by Wang and colleagues discussed above could also denote sharper representation of distracting information (Fig.…”

Section: Inhibition In Task‐relevant Networksupporting

confidence: 60%

“…Interestingly, and furthermore in line with this possibility, recent studies have related increased alpha-band activity to more stable visual percepts, leading to the proposal that alpha oscillations may not signal inhibition of cortical activity per se, but stabilization of the current configuration of neuronal activity. 21,22 From this perspective, the observed distractor location learning-related increase in prestimulus alpha activity in the study by Wang and colleagues 85 discussed above could also denote sharper representation of distracting information (Fig. 1A), not preparatory inhibition of expected distractor information.…”

Section: Inhibition In Task-relevant Networkmentioning

confidence: 89%

“…We will also discuss recent findings that show that alpha-band oscillations may play an important role in facilitating processing of goal-relevant information, by suppressing noise 20 or stabilizing the representation of the attended stimulus. 21,22 We explore the possibility that alpha oscillations could similarly modulate the representation of distract-ing information. We end by discussing important avenues for future research.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Inhibition in selective attention

Moorselaar

Slagter

2020

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

150

124

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Our ability to focus on goal‐relevant aspects of the environment is critically dependent on our ability to ignore or inhibit distracting information. One perspective is that distractor inhibition is under similar voluntary control as attentional facilitation of target processing. However, a rapidly growing body of research shows that distractor inhibition often relies on prior experience with the distracting information or other mechanisms that need not rely on active representation in working memory. Yet, how and when these different forms of inhibition are neurally implemented remains largely unclear. Here, we review findings from recent behavioral and neuroimaging studies to address this outstanding question. We specifically explore how experience with distracting information may change the processing of that information in the context of current predictive processing views of perception: by modulating a distractor's representation already in anticipation of the distractor, or after integration of top‐down and bottom‐up sensory signals. We also outline directions for future research necessary to enhance our understanding of how the brain filters out distracting information.

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Section: Inhibition In Task‐relevant Networksupporting

confidence: 60%

Section: Inhibition In Task-relevant Networkmentioning

confidence: 89%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Inhibition in selective attention

Moorselaar

Slagter

2020

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences

150

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Expectations could result in tuning towards or away from the expected distractor features ( Figure 1A-B), or they could not be expressed in changes in anticipatory tuning, but exert their effects via synaptic plasticity ( Figure 1C). We will also discuss recent findings that show that alpha-band oscillations may play an important role in facilitating processing of goal-relevant information, by suppressing noise (20) or stabilizing the representation of the attended stimulus (21,22). We explore the possibility that alpha oscillations could similarly modulate the representation of distracting information.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Inhibition in selective attention

Moorselaar¹,

Slagter²

2019

Preprint

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Our ability to focus on goal-relevant aspects of the environment is critically dependent on our ability to ignore or inhibit distracting information. One perspective is that distractor inhibition is under similar voluntary control as attentional facilitation of target processing. However, a rapidly growing body of research shows that distractor inhibition often relies on prior experience with the distracting information or other mechanisms that need not rely on active representation in working memory. Yet, how and when these different forms of inhibition are neurally implemented remains largely unclear. Here, we review findings from recent behavioral and neuroimaging studies to address this outstanding question. We specifically explore how experience with distracting information may change the processing of that information in the context of current predictive processing views of perception: by modulating a distractor’s representation already in anticipation of the distractor, or after integration of top-down and bottom-up sensory signals. We also outline directions for future research necessary to enhance our understanding of how the brain filters out distracting information.

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“…Alternatively, it is also possible that theta stimulation had no effect, but that alpha stimulation improved performance. Indeed, in a recent study, Clayton et al found that alpha stimulation over occipital cortex stabilized performance on a visual attention task [47]. The researchers speculated that the alpha stimulation may have prevented top-down reorienting signals from changing the attentional state of the visual system.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of mid-frontal brain stimulation on sustained attention

Schouwenburg

Sligte

Giffin

et al. 2019

Preprint

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Vigilant attention is defined as the ability to sustain attention over longer periods of time in a non-stimulating environment. Previous studies have suggested an important role for the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in vigilant attention. In this manuscript, we describe two experiments in which we aimed to enhance vigilant attention by applying transcranial electrical current stimulation over the mPFC. Specifically, we were interested in reducing the often observed decline in performance with time-on-task, the so-called vigilance decrement. In the first experiment, we applied transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in a between-subject design (n=97): participants received either anodal, cathodal, or sham stimulation. In contrast to our prediction, we found no effect of stimulation on the vigilance decrement. In the second experiment, we applied transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS). Participants received alpha and theta stimulation in two separate sessions (n=47, within-subject design). Here, we found a frequency-dependent effect on the vigilance decrement, such that contrary to our expectation, participants performance over time became worse after theta stimulation, compared to alpha stimulation. However, this result needs to be interpreted with caution given that at least part of this effect seems to be driven by the intensity of side effects experienced during the two stimulation frequencies. To conclude, across the two studies we were not able to reduce the vigilant decrement using tDCS or theta tACS.

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Electrical stimulation of alpha oscillations stabilizes performance on visual attention tasks.

Cited by 46 publications

References 82 publications

Inhibition in selective attention

Inhibition in selective attention

Inhibition in selective attention

Effects of mid-frontal brain stimulation on sustained attention

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