Document Detail


Attention regulates the plasticity of multisensory timing.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20584179     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Evidence suggests than human time perception is likely to reflect an ensemble of recent temporal experience. For example, prolonged exposure to consistent temporal patterns can adaptively realign the perception of event order, both within and between sensory modalities (e.g. Fujisaki et al., 2004 Nat. Neurosci., 7, 773-778). In addition, the observation that 'a watched pot never boils' serves to illustrate the fact that dynamic shifts in our attentional state can also produce marked distortions in our temporal estimates. In the current study we provide evidence for a hitherto unknown link between adaptation, temporal perception and our attentional state. We show that our ability to use recent sensory history as a perceptual baseline for ongoing temporal judgments is subject to striking top-down modulation via shifts in the observer's selective attention. Specifically, attending to the temporal structure of asynchronous auditory and visual adapting stimuli generates a substantial increase in the temporal recalibration induced by these stimuli. We propose a conceptual framework accounting for our findings whereby attention modulates the perceived salience of temporal patterns. This heightened salience allows the formation of audiovisual perceptual 'objects', defined solely by their temporal structure. Repeated exposure to these objects induces high-level pattern adaptation effects, akin to those found in visual and auditory domains (e.g. Leopold & Bondar (2005) Fitting the Mind to the World: Adaptation and Aftereffects in High-Level Vision. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 189-211; Schweinberger et al. (2008) Curr. Biol., 18, 684-688).
Authors:
James Heron; Neil W Roach; David Whitaker; James V M Hanson
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The European journal of neuroscience     Volume:  31     ISSN:  1460-9568     ISO Abbreviation:  Eur. J. Neurosci.     Publication Date:  2010 May 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-06-29     Completed Date:  2010-10-19     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  8918110     Medline TA:  Eur J Neurosci     Country:  France    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  1755-62     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Bradford School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK. j.heron2@bradford.ac.uk
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Acoustic Stimulation
Adaptation, Psychological / physiology
Adult
Attention / physiology*
Calibration
Female
Fixation, Ocular
Humans
Male
Photic Stimulation
Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
Time Perception / physiology*
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
//Wellcome Trust

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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