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01-03-2021 | Original Article

Sustained visuospatial attention enhances lateralized anticipatory ERP activity in sensory areas

Authors: Francesco Di Russo, Marika Berchicci, Valentina Bianco, Elena Mussini, Rinaldo Livio Perri, Sabrina Pitzalis, Federico Quinzi, Sara Tranquilli, Donatella Spinelli

Published in: Brain Structure and Function | Issue 2/2021

Abstract

The existence of neural correlates of spatial attention is not limited to the reactive stage of stimulus processing: neural activities subtending spatial attention are deployed well ahead of stimulus onset. ERP evidence supporting this proactive (top-down) attentional control is based on trial-by-trial S1–S2 paradigms, where the onset of a directional cue (S1) indicates on which side attention must be directed to respond to an upcoming target stimulus (S2). Crucially, S1 onset trigger both attention and motor preparation, therefore, these paradigms are not ideal to demonstrate the effect of attention at preparatory stage of processing. To isolate top-down anticipatory attention, the present study used a sustained attention paradigm based on a steady cue that indicates the attended side constantly throughout an entire block of trials, without any onset of an attentional cue. The main result consists in the description of the attention effect on the visual negativity (vN) component, a growing neural activity starting before stimulus presentation in extrastriate visual areas. The vN was consistently lateralized in the hemisphere contralateral to the attended side, regardless of the hand to be used. At the opposite, the lateralized motor activity emerged long after, confirming that the hand-selection process followed the spatial attention orientation process. The present study confirms the anticipatory nature of the vN component and corroborate its role in terms of preparatory visuospatial attention.

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Title: Sustained visuospatial attention enhances lateralized anticipatory ERP activity in sensory areas
Authors: Francesco Di Russo
Marika Berchicci
Valentina Bianco
Elena Mussini
Rinaldo Livio Perri
Sabrina Pitzalis
Federico Quinzi
Sara Tranquilli
Donatella Spinelli
Publication date: 01-03-2021
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Brain Structure and Function / Issue 2/2021
Print ISSN: 1863-2653
Electronic ISSN: 1863-2661
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-020-02192-6

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Sustained visuospatial attention enhances lateralized anticipatory ERP activity in sensory areas

Abstract

At a glance: The STEP trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

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