Auditory target detection is affected by implicit temporal and spatial expectations

TY - JOUR

T1 - Auditory target detection is affected by implicit temporal and spatial expectations

AU - Rimmele, Johanna

AU - Jolsvai, Hajnal

AU - Sussman, Elyse

PY - 2011/5/1

Y1 - 2011/5/1

N2 - Mechanisms of implicit spatial and temporal orienting were investigated by using a moving auditory stimulus. Expectations were set up implicitly, using the information inherent in the movement of a sound, directing attention to a specific moment in time with respect to a specific location. There were four conditions of expectation: temporal and spatial expectation; temporal expectation only; spatial expectation only; and no expectation. Event-related brain potentials were recorded while participants performed a go/no-go task, set up by anticipation of the reappearance of a target tone through a white noise band. Results showed that (1) temporal expectations alone speeded reaction time and increased response accuracy; and (2) implicit temporal expectations alone independently enhanced target detection at early processing stages, prior to motor response. This was reflected at stages of perceptual analysis, indexed by P1 and N1 components, as well as in task-related stages indexed by N2; and (3) spatial expectations had an effect at later response-related processing stages but only in combination with temporal expectations, indexed by the P3 component. Thus, the results, in addition to indicating a primary role for temporal orienting in audition, suggest that multiple mechanisms of attention interact in different phases of auditory target detection. Our results are consistent with the view from vision research that spatial and temporal attentional control is based on the activity of partly overlapping, and partly functionally specialized neural networks.

AB - Mechanisms of implicit spatial and temporal orienting were investigated by using a moving auditory stimulus. Expectations were set up implicitly, using the information inherent in the movement of a sound, directing attention to a specific moment in time with respect to a specific location. There were four conditions of expectation: temporal and spatial expectation; temporal expectation only; spatial expectation only; and no expectation. Event-related brain potentials were recorded while participants performed a go/no-go task, set up by anticipation of the reappearance of a target tone through a white noise band. Results showed that (1) temporal expectations alone speeded reaction time and increased response accuracy; and (2) implicit temporal expectations alone independently enhanced target detection at early processing stages, prior to motor response. This was reflected at stages of perceptual analysis, indexed by P1 and N1 components, as well as in task-related stages indexed by N2; and (3) spatial expectations had an effect at later response-related processing stages but only in combination with temporal expectations, indexed by the P3 component. Thus, the results, in addition to indicating a primary role for temporal orienting in audition, suggest that multiple mechanisms of attention interact in different phases of auditory target detection. Our results are consistent with the view from vision research that spatial and temporal attentional control is based on the activity of partly overlapping, and partly functionally specialized neural networks.

KW - Acoustic Stimulation

KW - Adult

KW - Attention

KW - Evoked Potentials

KW - Female

KW - Field Dependence-Independence

KW - Humans

KW - Male

KW - Motion Perception

KW - Orientation

KW - Probability Learning

KW - Reaction Time

KW - Recognition (Psychology)

KW - Reference Values

KW - Set (Psychology)

KW - Space Perception

KW - Time Perception

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1162/jocn.2010.21437

DO - 10.1162/jocn.2010.21437

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 20146603

VL - 23

SP - 1136

EP - 1147

JO - J COGNITIVE NEUROSCI

JF - J COGNITIVE NEUROSCI

SN - 0898-929X

IS - 5

ER -