Brain, sleep and memory · 1 min read
An alpha rhythm already pointed to the attended side before the target appeared
In 33 healthy adults, this rhythm coincided with size differences between the two sides of two deep brain structures.
The study, in plain language
Attention can get underway before there is anything to see. In a laboratory task, healthy adults received a cue about which side of the screen to attend to and then searched for a visual target.
Before the target appeared, the strength of a brain rhythm called alpha decreased on the side opposite the attended side and increased relatively on the same side. Differences in size between the two sides of some deep structures, especially the caudate and thalamus, coincided with this pattern in the study’s statistical model. The relationship varied with task load and with how much a distractor attracted attention.
The key idea
Before the target appeared, a brain rhythm already tracked the attended side and coincided with size differences between the two sides of certain deep structures.
Something to think about
When someone tells you where to look, do you notice your attention shifting before you see anything? Here, that shift appeared in a brain rhythm, not as a way to measure each person’s attention.
The original study
Modulation of alpha oscillations by attention is predicted by hemispheric asymmetry of subcortical regions
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
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