TY - JOUR
T1 - Load dependence of β and α oscillations predicts individual capacity of visual attention
AU - Rouhinen, Sateri
AU - Panula, Jonatan
AU - Matias Palva, J.
AU - Palva, Satu
PY - 2013/1/1
Y1 - 2013/1/1
N2 - Human capability to concurrently attend and perceive multiple visual objects has a limited and individual capacity of 2- 4 objects. Neuronal mechanisms that support the perception of multiple objects and underlie these attentional capacity limits have remained unclear.Weinvestigated the role of neuronal oscillations in multiobject visual perception and in limiting the attentional capacity. To this end, we used parametric multiobject tracking tasks, MEG and EEG recordings, and data-driven source-space analyses to localize the neuronal substrates of task performance. Three lines of evidence suggested a mechanistic role for neuronal oscillations in multiobject attention. First, oscillation amplitudes preceding target events were distinct for subsequently detected and undetected targets and also predicted reaction times to the target events. Second, suppression of θ to low-β (<β20 Hz) and strengthening of high-β to α (20 -90 Hz) oscillations in frontoparietal and visual regions were correlated with attentional load. Third, the load-dependent strengthening of α (30 -90 Hz) band oscillations in lateral prefrontal, posterior parietal, and visual cortices predicted interindividual variability in attentional capacity.Aprogressive recruitment ofα oscillations in sensory, attentional, and executive networks is thus directly correlated with multiobject attentional demands and, in particular, with the individual capability to consciously attend and perceive multiple visual objects concurrently. These data support the hypothesis that α oscillations contribute both to neuronal object representations and to attentional and executive processing.
AB - Human capability to concurrently attend and perceive multiple visual objects has a limited and individual capacity of 2- 4 objects. Neuronal mechanisms that support the perception of multiple objects and underlie these attentional capacity limits have remained unclear.Weinvestigated the role of neuronal oscillations in multiobject visual perception and in limiting the attentional capacity. To this end, we used parametric multiobject tracking tasks, MEG and EEG recordings, and data-driven source-space analyses to localize the neuronal substrates of task performance. Three lines of evidence suggested a mechanistic role for neuronal oscillations in multiobject attention. First, oscillation amplitudes preceding target events were distinct for subsequently detected and undetected targets and also predicted reaction times to the target events. Second, suppression of θ to low-β (<β20 Hz) and strengthening of high-β to α (20 -90 Hz) oscillations in frontoparietal and visual regions were correlated with attentional load. Third, the load-dependent strengthening of α (30 -90 Hz) band oscillations in lateral prefrontal, posterior parietal, and visual cortices predicted interindividual variability in attentional capacity.Aprogressive recruitment ofα oscillations in sensory, attentional, and executive networks is thus directly correlated with multiobject attentional demands and, in particular, with the individual capability to consciously attend and perceive multiple visual objects concurrently. These data support the hypothesis that α oscillations contribute both to neuronal object representations and to attentional and executive processing.
KW - Attention
KW - EEG
KW - MEG
KW - Oscillation
KW - Synchrony
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84888257618&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1666-13.2013
DO - 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1666-13.2013
M3 - Article
C2 - 24285906
AN - SCOPUS:84888257618
SN - 0270-6474
VL - 33
SP - 19023
EP - 19033
JO - JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
JF - JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
IS - 48
ER -