Object-based attention involves the sequential activation of feature-specific cortical modules.

Saved in:

Bibliographic Details
Title:	Object-based attention involves the sequential activation of feature-specific cortical modules.
Authors:	Schoenfeld, Mircea A, Hopf, Jens-Max, Merkel, Christian, Heinze, Hans-Jochen, Hillyard, Steven A
Source:	Nature Neuroscience. Apr2014, Vol. 17 Issue 4, p619-624. 6p.
Subjects:	Superimposed coding, Magnetoencephalography, Perceptual disorders, Diagnosis of neurological disorders, Interest (Psychology), Therapeutics
Abstract:	Object-based theories of attention propose that the selection of an object's feature leads to the rapid selection of all other constituent features, even those that are task irrelevant. We used magnetoencephalographic recordings to examine the timing and sequencing of neural activity patterns in feature-specific cortical areas as human subjects performed an object-based attention task. Subjects attended to one of two superimposed moving dot arrays that were perceived as transparent surfaces on the basis either of color or speed of motion. When surface motion was attended, the magnetoencephalographic waveforms showed enhanced activity in the motion-specific cortical area starting at ∼150 ms after motion onset, followed after ∼60 ms by enhanced activity in the color-specific area. When surface color was attended, this temporal sequence was reversed. This rapid sequential activation of the relevant and irrelevant feature modules provides a neural basis for the binding of an object's features into a unitary perceptual experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
	Copyright of Nature Neuroscience is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database:	Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection

Description
Abstract:	Object-based theories of attention propose that the selection of an object's feature leads to the rapid selection of all other constituent features, even those that are task irrelevant. We used magnetoencephalographic recordings to examine the timing and sequencing of neural activity patterns in feature-specific cortical areas as human subjects performed an object-based attention task. Subjects attended to one of two superimposed moving dot arrays that were perceived as transparent surfaces on the basis either of color or speed of motion. When surface motion was attended, the magnetoencephalographic waveforms showed enhanced activity in the motion-specific cortical area starting at ∼150 ms after motion onset, followed after ∼60 ms by enhanced activity in the color-specific area. When surface color was attended, this temporal sequence was reversed. This rapid sequential activation of the relevant and irrelevant feature modules provides a neural basis for the binding of an object's features into a unitary perceptual experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	10976256
DOI:	10.1038/nn.3656