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The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention

Evidence has amassed from both animal intracranial recordings and human electrophysiology that neural oscillatory mechanisms play a critical role in a number of cognitive functions such as learning, memory, feature binding and sensory gating. The wide availability of high-density electrical and magn...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Foxe, John J., Snyder, Adam C.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Research Foundation 2011
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21779269
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154
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author Foxe, John J.
Snyder, Adam C.
author_facet Foxe, John J.
Snyder, Adam C.
author_sort Foxe, John J.
collection PubMed
description Evidence has amassed from both animal intracranial recordings and human electrophysiology that neural oscillatory mechanisms play a critical role in a number of cognitive functions such as learning, memory, feature binding and sensory gating. The wide availability of high-density electrical and magnetic recordings (64–256 channels) over the past two decades has allowed for renewed efforts in the characterization and localization of these rhythms. A variety of cognitive effects that are associated with specific brain oscillations have been reported, which range in spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics depending on the context. Our laboratory has focused on investigating the role of alpha-band oscillatory activity (8–14 Hz) as a potential attentional suppression mechanism, and this particular oscillatory attention mechanism will be the focus of the current review. We discuss findings in the context of intersensory selective attention as well as intrasensory spatial and feature-based attention in the visual, auditory, and tactile domains. The weight of evidence suggests that alpha-band oscillations can be actively invoked within cortical regions across multiple sensory systems, particularly when these regions are involved in processing irrelevant or distracting information. That is, a central role for alpha seems to be as an attentional suppression mechanism when objects or features need to be specifically ignored or selected against.
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spelling pubmed-31326832011-07-21 The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention Foxe, John J. Snyder, Adam C. Front Psychol Psychology Evidence has amassed from both animal intracranial recordings and human electrophysiology that neural oscillatory mechanisms play a critical role in a number of cognitive functions such as learning, memory, feature binding and sensory gating. The wide availability of high-density electrical and magnetic recordings (64–256 channels) over the past two decades has allowed for renewed efforts in the characterization and localization of these rhythms. A variety of cognitive effects that are associated with specific brain oscillations have been reported, which range in spectral, temporal, and spatial characteristics depending on the context. Our laboratory has focused on investigating the role of alpha-band oscillatory activity (8–14 Hz) as a potential attentional suppression mechanism, and this particular oscillatory attention mechanism will be the focus of the current review. We discuss findings in the context of intersensory selective attention as well as intrasensory spatial and feature-based attention in the visual, auditory, and tactile domains. The weight of evidence suggests that alpha-band oscillations can be actively invoked within cortical regions across multiple sensory systems, particularly when these regions are involved in processing irrelevant or distracting information. That is, a central role for alpha seems to be as an attentional suppression mechanism when objects or features need to be specifically ignored or selected against. Frontiers Research Foundation 2011-07-05 /pmc/articles/PMC3132683/ /pubmed/21779269 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154 Text en Copyright © 2011 Foxe and Snyder. http://www.frontiersin.org/licenseagreement This is an open-access article subject to a non-exclusive license between the authors and Frontiers Media SA, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited and other Frontiers conditions are complied with.
spellingShingle Psychology
Foxe, John J.
Snyder, Adam C.
The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention
title The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention
title_full The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention
title_fullStr The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention
title_short The Role of Alpha-Band Brain Oscillations as a Sensory Suppression Mechanism during Selective Attention
title_sort role of alpha-band brain oscillations as a sensory suppression mechanism during selective attention
topic Psychology
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3132683/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21779269
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00154
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