Evoked potential correlates of selective attention with multi-channel auditory inputs

doi:10.1016/0013-4694(75)90222-9

Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology

Volume 38, Issue 2, February 1975, Pages 131-138

https://doi.org/10.1016/0013-4694(75)90222-9 Get rights and content

Abstract

Ten subjects were presented with a random sequence of 50 msec tone pips at a rapid rate (averaging one tone every 225 msec). The tones came from four different sound sources or sensory “channels” each having a different pitch (2000, 4000, 1000, and 500 c/sec respectively) and perceived spatial position (spaced equidistant across the head). Within each sensory “channel” a random 10% of the tones were of a slightly higher pitch (designated as “targets”). The subject attended to one channel at a time for 7.5 min and counted the targets in that channel. The auditory evoked vertex potential elicited by a channel of stimuli when attended was compared with the mean vertex potential elicited by those same stimuli when the other three channels were being attended. The N1 component (latency 80–130 msec) measured re a baseline revealed an increase with attention (82% in the baseline-N1 measure, P < 10⁻⁶). It was concluded that: (1) this N1 enhancement could not be attributed to peripheral mechanisms acting on sensory transmission; (2) this N1 enhancement reflects a “finely tuned” selective attention to one channel of stimuli among several concurrent and competing channels; and (3) a probable relationship exists between the information load on the sunject and the magnitude of this EP enhancement with selective attention.

Résumé

Des séquences aléatoirès de tons durant 50 msec administrés à vitesse rapide (en moyenne un ton toutes les 225 msec) ont été présentées à 10 sujets. Les tons provenaient de quatre sources sonores différentes ou de “chaînes” sensorielles différentes ayant chacune une hauteur différente (2000, 4000, 1000 et 500 c/sec respectivement) et une position spatiale perçue différente (espacement équidistant autour de la tête). A l'intérieur de chaque “canal” sensoriel, 10% des sons pris au hasard avaient und hauteur légèrement plus'elevée (désignés comme “cible”). Les sujets centraient leur attention sur un canal à la fois pendant une durée de 7.5. min et y dénombraient les cibles. Le potentiel audttif evoqué enregistré au vertex produit par un canal des stimuli lorsque l'attention était centrée sur lui était comparé au potentiel vertex moyen produit par les mêmes stimuli lorsque les trois autres canaux étaient ceux sur lesquels l'attention était centrée. La composante N1 (latence 80 à 130 msec) mesurée par rapport à la ligne de base est mesure de base N1, P < 10⁻⁶. Les auteurs concluent que: (1) ce renforcement de N1 ne peut pas être attribuée à des mécanismes périphériques agissant sur la transmission sensorielle, (2) que ce renforcement de N1 reflète une attention sśelective fine à canal de stimuli mélé à plusieurs canaux concurrents et en compétition et (3) qu'une relation existe probablement entre le poids de l;information pour le sujet et le degré de renforcement du potentiel évoqué avec l;attention sélective.

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Auditory N1 is largely a sensory component reflecting sound onset registration and is sensitive to the physical parameters of sound stimuli (Näätänen and Picton, 1987). However, directing attention to sound stimuli adds a further negative component to the obligatory N1 component (Näätänen and Michie, 1979; Parasuraman, 1980; Schwent and Hillyard, 1975). In the light of these findings, Bekker et al. (2005) suggested that Stopfailures stem from a failure to selectively attend to Stop-signals.
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This study investigated the effect of the allocation of attentional resources on event-related potentials (ERPs) and cardiovascular responses during a dual-task situation in which an avoidance task and a reward task were coupled. For the avoidance task, subjects were able to avoid an aversive shock that followed a target tone by pressing a button. For the reward task, subjects were asked to detect the direction of an arrowhead presented on the display screen and were rewarded for rapid, accurate reaction times. The 31 participants were divided into two groups based on their subjective impression of attention distribution between the avoidance and the reward task. Participants in the first group were motivated more by the avoidance task (AVD; n = 18), whereas those in the second group were motivated more by the reward task (RWD; n = 13). The ERPs to non-target and target tones, ECG, systolic blood pressure (SBP), and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were analyzed in the dual-task situation. The results indicated that the amplitudes of N1 to target and non-target tones, and of N2 to the target tone were larger in the avoidance (AVD) group than they were in the reward (RWD) group. The AVD group had higher blood pressure than did the RWD group during the aversive periods. However, there were no significant group differences in the mean RTs for avoidance and reward tasks, and participants in both groups reported similar subjective evaluations of their mental workloads. The results suggest a vigilant coping strategy that selectively focus attention to threatening information as illustrated by N1 and N2 changes may intensify psychophysiological arousal under stress.
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^☆: This work was supported by a National Science Foundation Fellowship, by NASA Grant No. NGR 05-009-198 (R. Galambos) and by NIH Grant 1 RO1 MH25594-01 (S. Hillyard).

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Evoked potential correlates of selective attention with multi-channel auditory inputs☆

Abstract

Résumé

Electroenceph. clin. Neuropysiol.

Physiol. Behav.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Electroenceph. clin. Neurophysiol.

Enhancement of evoked cortical potentials in humans related to a task requiring a decision

Science

Rate of intermodality switching disclosed by sensory evoked potentials averaged during signal detection tasks

J. Physiol. (Lond.)

Evoked potential correlates of signal recognition between and within modalities

Science

Cross-modality comparisons of average evoked potentials

Signal detection theory and psychophysics