The role of neuronal synchronization in selective attention

Womelsdorf, Thilo; Fries, Pascal

doi:10.1016/j.conb.2007.02.002

Cited by 444 publications

(368 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Mechanistically, this may be mediated by a reduction in the strength of lateral connections in the cortex that encode the uncertainty about, or precision of, visual signals (Friston, 2003). These changes may be enacted by modulatory neurotransmission (c.f., Yu & Dayan, 2005) or possibly fast synchronised oscillations (c.f., Womelsdorf & Fries, 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive coding explains binocular rivalry: An epistemological review

2008

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a b s t r a c tBinocular rivalry occurs when the eyes are presented with different stimuli and subjective perception alternates between them. Though recent years have seen a number of models of this phenomenon, the mechanisms behind binocular rivalry are still debated and we still lack a principled understanding of why a cognitive system such as the brain should exhibit this striking kind of behaviour. Furthermore, psychophysical and neurophysiological (single cell and imaging) studies of rivalry are not unequivocal and have proven difficult to reconcile within one framework. This review takes an epistemological approach to rivalry that considers the brain as engaged in probabilistic unconscious perceptual inference about the causes of its sensory input. We describe a simple empirical Bayesian framework, implemented with predictive coding, which seems capable of explaining binocular rivalry and reconciling many findings. The core of the explanation is that selection of one stimulus, and subsequent alternation between stimuli in rivalry occur when: (i) there is no single model or hypothesis about the causes in the environment that enjoys both high likelihood and high prior probability and (ii) when one stimulus dominates, the bottom-up, driving signal for that stimulus is explained away while, crucially, the bottom-up signal for the suppressed stimulus is not, and remains as an unexplained but explainable prediction error signal. This induces instability in perceptual dynamics that can give rise to perceptual transitions or alternations during rivalry.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Predictive coding explains binocular rivalry: An epistemological review

2008

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“…The LFP was extracted with a passband filter (0.7-170 Hz), further amplified and digitized at 1 kHz. The powerline artifact was removed from 10-s-long data segments using a discrete Fourier transform filter as described before (36). Behavioral control and stimulus generation were accomplished with the cortex software package, monitoring eye position at 1 kHz with a scleral search coil (David Northmore).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, many neurons spike preferentially at particular phases of the theta-cycle (27)(28)(29)(30)(31). Second, theta-oscillations are capable of shaping local high frequency γ-band synchronization, which is frequently nested within the theta-cycle (32-34) and indexes stimulus selection (35)(36)(37). Third, neuronal spiking output is synchronized to theta-activity ubiquitously in the brain, including the hippocampal formation, frontal cortex, and sensory cortices, and is therefore capable of providing a temporal context for coherent interareal communication (19,34,38,39).…”

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confidence: 99%

Theta-activity in anterior cingulate cortex predicts task rules and their adjustments following errors

Womelsdorf

Johnston

Vinck

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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211

153

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Accomplishing even simple tasks depend on neuronal circuits to configure how incoming sensory stimuli map onto responses. Controlling these stimulus-response (SR) mapping rules relies on a cognitive control network comprising the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Single neurons within the ACC convey information about currently relevant SR mapping rules and signal unexpected action outcomes, which can be used to optimize behavioral choices. However, its functional significance and the mechanistic means of interaction with other nodes of the cognitive control network remain elusive and poorly understood. Here, we report that core aspects of cognitive control are encoded by rhythmic theta-band activity within neuronal circuits in the ACC. Throughout task performance, theta-activity predicted which of two SR mapping rules will be established before processing visual target information. Task-selective theta-activity emerged particularly early during those trials, which required the adjustment of SR rules following an erroneous rule representation in the preceding trial. These findings demonstrate a functional correlation of cognitive control processes and oscillatory theta-band activity in macaque ACC. Moreover, we report that spike output of a subset of cells in ACC is synchronized to predictive theta-activity, suggesting that the theta-cycle could serve as a temporal reference for coordinating local task selective computations across a larger network of frontal areas and the hippocampus to optimize and adjust the processing routes of sensory and motor circuits to achieve efficient sensory-motor control.cognitive control | theta-synchronization | attention | oscillation | antisaccade C ognitive control refers to those neuronal processes responsible for assembling task-relevant information, which in turn biases sensory and motor pathways for efficient communication during task processing. Two core functions of cognitive control are (i) the implementation and maintenance of task-relevant stimulusresponse (SR) mapping rules, and (ii) the adjustment and optimization of such representations during task performance according to behavioral outcome. Both functions are subserved by a mosaic of interconnected neuronal groups distributed within frontal cortex (1-4). The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is one of the key nodes within this cognitive control network, conveying task relevant information at various time intervals during task processing (5, 6). First, during preparatory periods, ACC neurons convey signals selective for the currently relevant SR mapping rule (7), and allow inferences with respect to changes in SR mapping triggered by either an incorrect response, or an explicit cue to change SR mapping (8). Second, during stimulus processing and delay epochs in working memory paradigms, subsets of neurons encode the expected reward outcome associated with the stimulus (9). Third, following the behavioral response to a target stimulus, neuronal groups in ACC signal whether the behavioral response was incorrect or result...

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“…Spike synchronization in visual cortex was also proposed to account for binocular rivalry [77]. More recently, oscillatory spike synchronization has been studied for its roles in visual attention [78] and in communication between brain areas [79], thus with relevance for conscious access processes. Nikolaev et al [80] showed that the amount of information to be communicated between brain areas is directly proportional to the duration of an interval of synchronized activity, the coherence interval [81].…”

Section: Understanding the Neural Basis Of Perceptual Awarenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptual awareness and its neural basis: bridging experimental and theoretical paradigms

Raffone

Srinivasan

Leeuwen

2014

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Understanding consciousness is a major scientific challenge of our times, and perceptual awareness is an integral part of that challenge. This Theme Issue aims to provide a timely focus on crucial insights from leading scientists on perceptual awareness and its neural basis. The issue refers to key research questions and findings in perceptual awareness research and aims to be a catalyst for further research, by bringing together the state-of-the-art. It shows how bridges are being built between empirical and theoretical research and proposes new directions for the study of multisensory awareness and the role of the states of the body therein. In this introduction, we highlight crucial problems that have characterized the development of the study of perceptual awareness. We then provide an overview of major experimental and theoretical paradigms related to perceptual awareness and its neural basis. Finally, we present an overview of the Theme Issue, with reference to the contributed articles and their relationships

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The role of neuronal synchronization in selective attention

Cited by 444 publications

References 80 publications

Predictive coding explains binocular rivalry: An epistemological review

Predictive coding explains binocular rivalry: An epistemological review

Theta-activity in anterior cingulate cortex predicts task rules and their adjustments following errors

Perceptual awareness and its neural basis: bridging experimental and theoretical paradigms

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