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| Research article summary (published 30 Mar 2003): |
Focused attention in a simple dichotic listening task: an fMRI experiment.
Full Abstract
Whole-head functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used in nine neurologically intact subjects to measure the hemodynamic responses in the context of dichotic listening (DL). In order to eliminate the influence of verbal information processing, tones of different frequencies were used as stimuli. Three different dichotic listening tasks were used:
the subjects were instructed to either concentrate on the stimuli presented in both ears (DIV), or only in the left (FL) or right (FR) ear and to monitor the auditory input for a specific target tone. When the target tone was detected, the subjects were required to indicate this by pressing a response button. Compared to the resting state, all dichotic listening tasks evoked strong hemodynamic responses within a distributed network comprising of temporal, parietal, and frontal brain areas. Thus, it is clear that dichotic listening makes use of various cognitive functions located within the dorsal and ventral stream of auditory information processing (i.e., the 'what' and 'where' streams). Comparing the three different dichotic listening conditions with each other only revealed a significant difference in the pre-SMA and within the left planum temporale area. The pre-SMA was generally more strongly activated during the DIV condition than during the FR and FL conditions. Within the planum temporale, the strongest activation was found during the FR condition and the weakest during the DIV condition. These findings were taken as evidence that even a simple dichotic listening task such as the one used here, makes use of a distributed neural network comprising of the dorsal and ventral stream of auditory information processing. In addition, these results support the previously made assumption that planum temporale activation is modulated by attentional strategies. Finally, the present findings uncovered that the pre-SMA, which is mostly thought to be involved in higher-order motor control processes, is also involved in cognitive processes operative during dichotic listening.
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Author information
Author/s: Jäncke, Lutz (L); Specht, Karsten (K); Shah, Joni Nadim (JN); Hugdahl, Kenneth (K);
Affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Division of Neuropsychology, University Zürich, Treichlerstr 10, CH-8032 Zürich, Switzerland. jaencke(-atsign-)web.de
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article
Journal: Brain research. Cognitive brain research (Brain Res Cogn Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2003-Apr; vol 16 (issue 2) : pp 257-66
Dates: Created 2003/04/01; Completed 2003/05/29; Revised 2007/11/15;
PMID: 12668235, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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