Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 7, 2026
06:46
Investigating the Deployment of Visual Attention Before Accurate and Averaging Saccades via Eye Tracking and Assessment of Visual Sensitivity
Published on: March 18, 2019
Lateralized frontal activity elicited by attention-directing visual and auditory cues
Jessica J Green1, Julie A Conder, John J McDonald
1Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. jgreenb@sfu.ca
Psychophysiology
|February 20, 2008
Summary
Frontal lobe activity during spatial attention tasks may involve multiple neural sources. These sources are influenced by sensory input and task demands, suggesting they are not solely responsible for attentional control.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Electrophysiology
Background:
- Event-related potential (ERP) studies of voluntary spatial attention often observe lateralized frontal activity.
- This activity is typically interpreted as a supramodal attentional control mechanism located in the frontal lobes.
- Variability in scalp topography and presence of this activity across studies indicates potential multiple neural generators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural generators of lateralized frontal activity during voluntary spatial attention.
- To determine if this activity reflects a single supramodal attentional control mechanism or multiple distinct sources.
- To differentiate the roles of sensory modality and response requirements in modulating frontal activity.
Main Methods:
- Utilized distributed source modeling on electroencephalography (EEG) data from event-related potential (ERP) studies.
- Analyzed lateralized activity over anterior scalp sites preceding target presentation during voluntary spatial attention tasks.
- Differentiated neural sources based on their dependency on sensory modality and task response requirements.
Main Results:
- Identified two distinct frontal lobe sources activated by attention-directing cues.
- One source's activity was dependent on the sensory modality of the eliciting stimulus.
- The other source's activity was dependent on the response requirements of the task.
- Differential modulation of these sources by task parameters was observed.
Conclusions:
- The lateralized frontal activity observed in spatial attention tasks likely arises from multiple neural generators.
- Neither identified frontal source appears to solely represent the activity necessary for controlling attention.
- Findings challenge the interpretation of this activity as a single, supramodal attentional control mechanism.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:28Lateralization
Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
01:21Association Areas of the Cortex
Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...