Does spatial attention modulate the earliest component of the visual evoked potential?

Abstract

Whether visual spatial attention can modulate feedforward input to human primary visual cortex (V1) is debated. A prominent and long-standing hypothesis is that visual spatial attention can influence processing in V1, but only at delayed latencies suggesting a feedback-mediated mechanism and a lack of modulation during the initial afferent volley. The most promising challenge to this hypothesis comes from an event-related potential (ERP) study that showed an amplitude enhancement of the earliest visual ERP component, called the 'C1', in response to spatially attended relative to spatially unattended stimuli. In the Kelly et al. study, several important experimental design modifications were introduced, including tailoring the stimulus locations and recording electrodes to each individual subject. In the current study, we employed the same methodological procedures and tested for attentional enhancements of the C1 component in each quadrant of the visual field. Using the same analysis strategies as Kelly et al., we found no evidence for an attention-based modulation of the C1 (measured from 50-80 ms). Attention-based amplitude enhancements were clear and robust for the subsequent P1 component (90-140 ms). Thus, despite using methods specifically designed to reveal C1 attention effects, the current study provided no confirmatory evidence for such effects.

Detailed spatiotemporal brain mapping of chromatic vision combining high‐resolution VEP with fMRI and retinotopy

“…Some studies challenged this view indicating the presence of attention effects on the C1 component (Kelly, Gomez‐Ramirez, & Foxe, ; Rauss et al, 2009), although this result was never further confirmed. More importantly, a recent study that carefully replicated the same experiment and analysis strategies as in Kelly et al () found no evidence for an attention‐based modulation of the C1 (Baumgartner et al, ). Furthermore, normal and reliable chromatic VEPs have been recorded in cases of cerebral achromatopsia.…”

“…In fact, for several studies the presence of VEPs activity over the occipital cortex along the midline, was sufficient to indicate that the signals come from V1 (Foxe et al, ; Kulikowski et al, ; Nakamura et al, ; Onofrj et al, ; Xing et al, ). Highsmith and Crognale () proposed that early chromatic VEP should arise from V1 because of the lack of attention effect on the C1 component (e.g., Baumgartner et al, ; Di Russo et al, ; for a review see Ding, Martinez, Qu, & Hillyard, ). Some studies challenged this view indicating the presence of attention effects on the C1 component (Kelly, Gomez‐Ramirez, & Foxe, ; Rauss et al, 2009), although this result was never further confirmed.…”

“…In fact, for several studies the presence of . Highsmith and Crognale (2010) proposed that early chromatic VEP should arise from V1 because of the lack of attention effect on the C1 component (e.g., Baumgartner et al, 2017;Di Russo et al, 2003, 2012; for a review see Ding, Martinez, Qu, & Hillyard, 2014).…”

“…In addition, stimuli extending on more than one visual quadrant produce a combined bilateral activity from the dorsal and ventral banks of V1 that may render ambiguous the C1 detection and labeling (Di Russo et al, ; Di Russo, Martínez, & Hillyard, ; Di Russo & Pitzalis, ). For recent consideration on this topic see also Baumgartner, Graulty, Hillyard, and Pitts ().…”

Electrophysiological evidence of sustained spatial attention effects over anterior cortex: Possible contribution of the anterior insula

“…ERP studies, usually focusing on poststimulus brain activity, showed that visuospatial attention enhances activities originating in dorsal and ventral extrastriate pathways, indexed by the P1 and the N1 components. Furthermore, visuospatial attention does not affect the afferent activities originating in the primary visual area (V1), indexed by the C1 component (Baumgartner, Graulty, Hillyard, & Pitts, ; Di Russo, ; Gómez‐Gonzalez, Clark, Fan, Luck, & Hillyard, ; Pitts & Hillyard, ; however, see Slotnick, for opposite results). Regarding attention effects on frontal areas, ERP evidence is scarce.…”