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| Research article summary (published 30 Jan 2003): |
Shifts of attention in light and in darkness: an ERP study of supramodal attentional control and crossmodal links in spatial attention.
Full Abstract
Crossmodal links in spatial attention, uncovered by recent behavioural and electrophysiological studies, have been interpreted as evidence for supramodal processes controlling shifts of attention. However, previous experiments have usually been conducted in illuminated environments. Continuously available visuo-spatial information might result in shifts of attention being primarily guided by visible information, even when another modality is task-relevant. The present ERP study evaluated this. A symbolic auditory cue directed attention to the left or right hand. Participants had to detect infrequent tactile targets delivered to the cued hand, while ignoring any visual stimuli. Stimuli were presented either in a lit environment or in darkness. Although continuous ambient visuo-spatial information was eliminated in the latter condition, processing of task-irrelevant visual events was still modulated by spatial attention for the tactile task. Moreover, ERP correlates of attentional shifts in the cue-target interval were similar for both illumination conditions. This was further confirmed in a follow-up experiment where the darkness condition was repeated without any peripheral visual stimulation ever occurring. These findings demonstrate that the ERP correlates of crossmodal attention (both preparatory effects in the cue-target interval, and also modulations of stimulus-evoked components) do not depend on selection being guided by ambient visible information in a lit environment. They suggest instead that spatial shifts of attention are controlled supramodally.
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Author information
Author/s: Eimer, Martin (M); van Velzen, José (J); Forster, Bettina (B); Driver, Jon (J);
Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK. m.eimer(-atsign-)bbk.ac.uk
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: Brain research. Cognitive brain research (Brain Res Cogn Brain Res), published in Netherlands. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2003-Feb; vol 15 (issue 3) : pp 308-23
Dates: Created 2003/01/15; Completed 2003/06/03; Revised 2006/11/15;
PMID: 12527104, 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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