The Speed of Alpha-Band Oscillations Predicts the Temporal Resolution of Visual Perception

Samaha, Jason; Postle, Bradley R.

doi:10.1016/j.cub.2015.10.007

Cited by 400 publications

(548 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Similarly, Matthewson et al (2009) demonstrated that posterior alpha phase predicts awareness for a metacontrast masking paradigm. Consistent with this, Samaha and Postle (2015) showed that resting and ongoing occipital alpha frequency predicts perception for one-versus two-flash discrimination. If individuals' occipital PAF at rest determines the frequency with which their representations are updated, then we would expect to see a relationship between phase at offset and performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Slower resting alpha frequency is associated with superior localisation of moving targets

Howard

Arnold

Belmonte

2017

Brain and Cognition

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We examined the neurophysiological underpinnings of individual differences in the ability to maintain up-to-date representations of the positions of moving objects. In two experiments similar to the multiple object tracking (MOT) task, we asked observers to monitor continuously one or several targets as they moved unpredictably for a semi-random period. After all objects disappeared, observers were immediately prompted to report the perceived final position of one queried target. Precision of these position reports declined with attentional load, and reports tended to best resemble positions occupied by the queried target between 0 and 30 ms in the past. Measurement of event-related potentials showed a contralateral delay activity over occipital scalp, maximal in the right hemisphere. The peak power-spectral frequency of observers' eyes-closed resting occipital alpha oscillations reliably predicted performance, such that lower-frequency alpha was associated with superior spatial localisation. Slower resting alpha might be associated with a cognitive style that depends less on memory-related processing and instead emphasises attention to changing stimuli.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Slower resting alpha frequency is associated with superior localisation of moving targets

Howard

Arnold

Belmonte

2017

Brain and Cognition

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“…Brain oscillations have been already proposed as a mechanism to instantiate temporal predictions when sensory information has a regular structure484950 and to explain some illusions in the temporal domain5152. Interestingly, the idea that brain rhythmic activity could serve to parse sensory information and order events in time has been already explored a few decades ago5354 and corroborated by most recent studies showing that the power55, the phase5657 as well as the frequency58 of brain oscillations affect simultaneity judgments and sensory fusion-thresholds.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Perceived visual time depends on motor preparation and direction of hand movements

Tomassini

Morrone

2016

Sci Rep

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Perceived time undergoes distortions when we prepare and perform movements, showing compression and/or expansion for visual, tactile and auditory stimuli. However, the actual motor system contribution to these time distortions is far from clear. In this study we investigated visual time perception during preparation of isometric contractions and real movements of the hand in two different directions (right/left). Comparable modulations of visual event-timing are found in the isometric and in the movement condition, excluding explanations based on movement-induced sensory masking or attenuation. Most importantly, and surprisingly, visual time depends on the movement direction, being expanded for hand movements pointing away from the body and compressed in the other direction. Furthermore, the effect of movement direction is not constant, but rather undergoes non-monotonic modulations in the brief moments preceding movement initiation. Our findings indicate that time distortions are strongly linked to the motor system, and they may be unavoidable consequences of the mechanisms subserving sensory-motor integration.

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“…Recent studies have suggested that the peak frequency (i.e., the frequency with the maximal power) of alpha-band (8–12 Hz) oscillations in parieto-occipital areas serves as the neuronal correlate of such perceptual cycles in the (audio-) visual domain (Cecere et al, 2015; Samaha and Postle, 2015). Here, we studied in a tactile temporal discrimination task whether peak frequencies might likewise serve as a correlate for perceptual cycles in the somatosensory domain.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Beyond the Peak – Tactile Temporal Discrimination Does Not Correlate with Individual Peak Frequencies in Somatosensory Cortex

2017

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The human sensory systems constantly receive input from different stimuli. Whether these stimuli are integrated into a coherent percept or segregated and perceived as separate events, is critically determined by the temporal distance of the stimuli. This temporal distance has prompted the concept of temporal integration windows or perceptual cycles. Although this concept has gained considerable support, the neuronal correlates are still discussed. Studies suggested that neuronal oscillations might provide a neuronal basis for such perceptual cycles, i.e., the cycle lengths of alpha oscillations in visual cortex and beta oscillations in somatosensory cortex might determine the length of perceptual cycles. Specifically, recent studies reported that the peak frequency (the frequency with the highest spectral power) of alpha oscillations in visual cortex correlates with subjects’ ability to discriminate two visual stimuli. In the present study, we investigated whether peak frequencies in somatosensory cortex might serve as the correlate of perceptual cycles in tactile discrimination. Despite several different approaches, we were unable to find a significant correlation between individual peak frequencies in the alpha- and beta-band and individual discrimination abilities. In addition, analysis of Bayes factor provided evidence that peak frequencies and discrimination thresholds are unrelated. The results suggest that perceptual cycles in the somatosensory domain are not necessarily to be found in the peak frequency, but in other frequencies. We argue that studies based solely on analysis of peak frequencies might thus miss relevant information.

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The Speed of Alpha-Band Oscillations Predicts the Temporal Resolution of Visual Perception

Cited by 400 publications

References 25 publications

Slower resting alpha frequency is associated with superior localisation of moving targets

Slower resting alpha frequency is associated with superior localisation of moving targets

Perceived visual time depends on motor preparation and direction of hand movements

Beyond the Peak – Tactile Temporal Discrimination Does Not Correlate with Individual Peak Frequencies in Somatosensory Cortex

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