The neural basis of tactile attention
Abstract/Contents
- Abstract
- Spatial tactile attention is the ability to improve the processing of tactile stimuli at particular, attended, parts of our body. In order to investigate the neural and behavioral characteristics of spatial tactile attention, we combined measurements of tactile sensory regions using functional magnetic resonance imaging, with a novel tactile behavioral paradigm that included an attentional manipulation. We find an improvement in amplitude discrimination performance when a cue directs attention to a particular hand, and a corresponding increment in neural activity in the primary and secondary somatosensory cortices contralateral to the attended hand. Taking inspiration from the literature on visual attention, we consider whether the observed behavioral and cortical changes are more likely to be caused by a change in processes to do with the selection of stimuli (operationalized as an offset in neural activity), or if they are instead the outcome of a change in sensitivity to stimuli (operationalized as a change in the gain of the stimulus drive). We find that both behavioral and neural data are most consistent with the selection (neural offset) hypothesis. This is consistent with findings with functional imaging in the visual attention literature, suggesting that mechanisms for allocating spatial attention in sensory regions of cortex might be similar across sensory modalities. The implications of these results are considered in light of previously documented inconsistencies between functional imaging and electrophysiological measurements in the visual attention literature.
Description
| Type of resource | text |
|---|---|
| Form | electronic resource; remote; computer; online resource |
| Extent | 1 online resource. |
| Place | California |
| Place | [Stanford, California] |
| Publisher | [Stanford University] |
| Copyright date | 2018; ©2018 |
| Publication date | 2018; 2018 |
| Issuance | monographic |
| Language | English |
Creators/Contributors
| Author | McKenzie, Cameron Ross Lloyd |
|---|---|
| Degree supervisor | Gardner, Justin, 1971- |
| Thesis advisor | Gardner, Justin, 1971- |
| Thesis advisor | Norcia, Anthony Matthew |
| Thesis advisor | Wagner, Anthony David |
| Degree committee member | Norcia, Anthony Matthew |
| Degree committee member | Wagner, Anthony David |
| Associated with | Stanford University, Department of Psychology. |
Subjects
| Genre | Theses |
|---|---|
| Genre | Text |
Bibliographic information
| Statement of responsibility | Cameron Ross Lloyd McKenzie. |
|---|---|
| Note | Submitted to the Department of Psychology. |
| Thesis | Thesis Ph.D. Stanford University 2018. |
| Location | electronic resource |
Access conditions
- Copyright
- © 2018 by Cameron Ross Lloyd McKenzie
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