Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown that children that differ in some... more Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown that children that differ in some mathematical abilities show differences in gray matter volume mainly in parietal and frontal regions that are involved in number processing, attentional control, and memory. In the present study, a structural neuroimaging analysis based on radiomics and machine learning models is presented with the aim of identifying the brain areas that better predict children’s performance in a variety of mathematical tests. A sample of 77 school-aged children from third to sixth grade were administered four mathematical tests: Math fluency, Calculation, Applied problems and Quantitative concepts as well as a structural brain imaging scan. By extracting radiomics related to the shape, intensity, and texture of specific brain areas, we observed that areas from the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, and limbic system, were differentially related to children’s performance in...
Brain areas related to mathematical abili- ties in children have been mainly assessed through the... more Brain areas related to mathematical abili- ties in children have been mainly assessed through their activation in fMRI, while volume-based analysis have been employed in sMRI to discover structural differ- ences. However, a recent technique in precision medicine allows to enhance the sMRI analysis by extracting a large number of features, also called radiomics, related to shape, intensity and texture from specific areas. In the present study, a structural neuroimaging analysis based on radiomics and machine learning models is pre- sented with the aim of identifying brain areas related to different mathematical tests. A total of 77 school- aged children from third to sixth grade were adminis- tered four mathematical tests: Math Fluency, Calcu- lation, Applied Problems and Concepts as well as a structural brain imaging scan. The results confirmed and extended the involvement of brain areas found in sMRI and fMRI literature such as the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, ...
BackgroundCurrent theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict t... more BackgroundCurrent theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrainment via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha and theta frequencies on the frontoparietal network could prevent the drops in vigilance across time-on-task. Nonetheless, most previous studies have neglected both the fact that vigilance comprises two dissociable components (i.e. arousal and executive vigilance) and the potential role of differences in arousal baseline. MethodWe examined the effects of theta- and alpha-tACS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on both components of vigilance and on participants that differed in arousal baseline according to their chronotype and the time of testing. Intermediate-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal baseline was at the optimal level, whereas evening-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal baseline was at non-optimal levels. ResultsBoth theta- and alpha-tACS improved ...
It has recently been reported that the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) might be one of the ... more It has recently been reported that the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) might be one of the therapeutical techniques focused at promoting autonomy in the elderly to deal with their medical issues. Molina et al. (2015) found that a group of healthy young adults improved their learning and long-term retention of six disorder/pill associations when each relationship to be learned was associated with a particular reinforcer (the differential outcomes condition) compared to when they were randomly administered (the non-differential outcomes condition). In the present study, we extend these findings to older adults who usually show difficulties to remember to take their medications as prescribed. Participants were asked to learn the association between three pills and the specific time at the day when they had to take each medication. Two memory tests were also performed 1 h and 1 week after completing the training phase. Results showed a faster learning of the task and long-term ret...
Although several recent studies investigated the hemispheric contributions to the attentional net... more Although several recent studies investigated the hemispheric contributions to the attentional networks using the Attention Network Test (ANT), the role of the cerebral hemispheres in modulating the interaction among them remains unclear. In this study, two lateralized versions of this test (LANT) were used to investigate theal effects on the attentional networks under different conflict conditions. One version, the LANTI-A, presented arrows as target and flankers, while the other version, the LANTI-F, had fruits as target and flankers. Data collected from forty-seven participants confirmed well-known results on the efficiency and interactions among the attentional networks. Further, a left visual field advantage was found when a target occurred in an unattended location (e.g. invalid trials), only with the LANTI-F, but not with LANTI-A. The present study adds more evidence to the hemispheric asymmetry of the orienting of attention, and further reveals patterns of interactions betwee...
Abstract: En general, se ha considerado que una de las principales consecuencias de la atención e... more Abstract: En general, se ha considerado que una de las principales consecuencias de la atención es la de facilitar aquella parte de la información que recibe su influencia. No obstante, durante los últimos años han surgido una serie de trabajos que muestran actuaciones de la atención diferentes a las consideradas clásicamente. Así, en aquellas situaciones en que el sujeto tiene que seleccionar información para emitir una respuesta, la atención podría actuar también suprimiendo la información irrelevante. En este trabajo se ...
were interviewed about daily functioning. Improvements were noted for all participants, including... more were interviewed about daily functioning. Improvements were noted for all participants, including daily functioning, aspects of qEEG (spectra and ERP) and behavior (reaction time). Although it is doubtful that neurofeedback training can address the core problems associated with chronic fatigue (both CFS and IFS), it seems plausible that training can lead to some functional improvement for these patients.
r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the ... more r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the executive attention networks have been well established, surprisingly little is known about the potential neural interac-tion between them. Recent studies point out that spatial inhibition of return (IOR), a mechanism associated with the orienting network, and nonspatial inhibition of return, a mechanism associated with the executive network, might bias the organism for novel locations and objects, respectively. By orthogonally combining the spatial and the nonspatial IOR paradigms in this fMRI study, we demonstrate that the orienting and the executive networks interact and compensate each other in biasing the attention system for novelty. Behavior-ally, participants responded slower to the target at the old location only when the color of the target was novel, and participants responded slower to the old color representation only when the target appeared at a novel spatial location. Neu...
r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the ... more r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the executive attention networks have been well established, surprisingly little is known about the potential neural interac-tion between them. Recent studies point out that spatial inhibition of return (IOR), a mechanism associated with the orienting network, and nonspatial inhibition of return, a mechanism associated with the executive network, might bias the organism for novel locations and objects, respectively. By orthogonally combining the spatial and the nonspatial IOR paradigms in this fMRI study, we demonstrate that the orienting and the executive networks interact and compensate each other in biasing the attention system for novelty. Behavior-ally, participants responded slower to the target at the old location only when the color of the target was novel, and participants responded slower to the old color representation only when the target appeared at a novel spatial location. Neu...
In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in y... more In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in younger adults, older adults, and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the first experiment, a semantic priming task measured age-and AD-related changes in attentional sensitivity to semantic information. In the second experiment, the semantic priming task was modified to additionally serve as a spatial inhibition of return (IOR) task. The combined semantic and spatial task measured (a) age-and AD-related changes in sensitivity to spatial cues as well as to semantic primes, and (b) interactions between the networks that subserve attention to semantic and spatial information. The results of both experiments revealed group differences in the utilization of semantic primes as a function of prime validity, suggesting that both older adults and AD patients were less likely than younger adults to generate controlled attention-dependent expectancies for semantically related information. Spatial IOR effects in Experiment 2 were evident in the performance of all three groups, but were of reduced magnitude in AD patients. Younger adults' performance reflected interactions between semantic priming and spatial cuing effects. These findings are consistent with conclusions that (a) selectivity via semantic primes and via spatial cues reflect separate attentional mechanisms, and (b) semantic and spatial aspects of attention are mediated by different but closely interconnected neural networks.
Current theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrai... more Current theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrainment via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha and theta frequencies on specific areas of the prefrontal cortex could prevent the drops in vigilance across time-on-task. Nonetheless, most previous studies have neglected both the fact that vigilance comprises two dissociable components (i.e., arousal and executive vigilance) and the potential role of differences in arousal levels. We examined the effects of theta- and alpha-tACS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in both components of vigilance and in participants who differed in arousal level according to their chronotype and time of testing. Intermediate-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal level was optimal, whereas evening-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal levels were non-optimal. Both theta- and alpha-tACS improved arousal vigilance in the psychomotor vigilance...
Task difficulty and response complexity modulate affective priming by emotional facial expression... more Task difficulty and response complexity modulate affective priming by emotional facial expressions Federica Sassi, Guillermo Campoy, Alejandro Castillo, Alberto Inuggi & Luis J. Fuentes a Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain b Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain c Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, Murcia, Spain Accepted author version posted online: 20 Aug 2013.Published online: 25 Sep 2013.
Chronotype refers to the time of day preferred by individuals to perform daily activities accordi... more Chronotype refers to the time of day preferred by individuals to perform daily activities according to their circadian rhythm. We asked whether synchrony effects, that is, the difference in performance between the optimal and non-optimal time of day as a function of chronotype, are observed in two tasks that differently involve the endogenous component of the alerting network, the psychomotor visual task (PVT) and the flanker task. From an initial sample of 132 students that filled in the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), 18 were classified as Morning-types and 16 as Evening-types. Evening-types showed synchrony effects in both tasks, whereas Morning-types failed to show synchrony effects in the flanker task and when the PVT was first performed at the non-optimal time of day. Thus, Morning-types might have seen increased their vigilant attention at their non-optimal time of day due to the cognitive demands of the flanker task and to the novelty with the PVT. Phasic alerti...
In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in y... more In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in younger adults, older adults, and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the first experiment, a semantic priming task measured age- and AD-related changes in attentional sensitivity to semantic information. In the second experiment, the semantic priming task was modified to additionally serve as a spatial inhibition of return (IOR) task. The combined semantic and spatial task measured (a) age- and AD-related changes in sensitivity to spatial cues as well as to semantic primes, and (b) interactions between the networks that subserve attention to semantic and spatial information. The results of both experiments revealed group differences in the utilization of semantic primes as a function of prime validity, suggesting that both older adults and AD patients were less likely than younger adults to generate controlled attention-dependent expectancies for semantically related information. ...
This study assessed whether inhibitory processes occurring in IOR aŒ ect perceptual processing of... more This study assessed whether inhibitory processes occurring in IOR aŒ ect perceptual processing of hierarchically organised stimuli. Experiment 1 used a global/local task that presented stimuli to the left or the right side. Results showed a global task advantage and a larger interference in the local than in the global task‐ the global precedence eŒ ect (GPE). These eŒ ects were larger than in previous studies using centrally presented stimuli, which suggests a greater involvement of low spatial frequency analysis with peripheral than with central stimuli. Experiment 2 combined the global/local task with IOR. Results replicated those of Experiment 1 but there was no interaction with stimulus location. That is, the GPE was not aŒ ected in IOR. Thus, we conclude that the GPE and inhibitory processing occurring in IOR are subserved by diŒ erent mechanisms. When a cue anticipates the location where the target will be presented, responses to targets appearing in that location will be spe...
Schizophrenia has been associated with deficits in several cognitive processes but mainly with at... more Schizophrenia has been associated with deficits in several cognitive processes but mainly with attention deficits. From a neurocognitive approach, attention has been conceptualized as a set of neural networks involved in the control of information processing. Two such networks have been described in visual attention: (1) the posterior attentional network, involved in visual orientation of attention, localized in posterior areas of the brain; and (2) the anterior attentional network, involved in executive functions mainly in attention to high level processing, such as semantic processing, localized in anterior areas of the brain. The neurocognitive studies of schizophrenia revised here suggest that the main attentional deficits associated with schizophrenia involve inhibitory processing of the anterior attentional network that takes place in the left hemisphere.
We typically observe a decrement in vigilance with time-on-task, which favors the propensity for ... more We typically observe a decrement in vigilance with time-on-task, which favors the propensity for mind-wandering, i.e., the shifting of attention from the task at hand to task-unrelated thoughts. Here, we examined participants’ mind-wandering, either intentional or unintentional, while performing vigilance tasks that tap different components of vigilance. Intentional mind-wandering is expected mainly when the arousal component is involved, whereas unintentional mind-wandering is expected mainly in tasks involving the executive component. The Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) assessed the arousal component, whereas the Sustained Attention to Response task (SART) assessed the executive component of vigilance. The two types of mind-wandering were probed throughout task execution. The results showed that the overall rate of mind-wandering was higher in the PVT than in the SART. Intentional mind-wandering was higher with the PVT than with the SART, whereas unintentional mind-wandering was ...
Background: Attention and perception are strongly biased toward information about oneself compare... more Background: Attention and perception are strongly biased toward information about oneself compared to information about others. The self-attention network, an integrative theoretical framework for understanding the self-prioritization effects (SPE), proposes that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), and the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) are the two nodes responsible for the preferential processing of selfrelated stimuli, which interact with the attentional control network (associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC), responsible for processing other-related stimuli. So far, neuroimaging studies have provided considerable correlational evidence supporting the self-attention network. Objective: Here we went beyond correlational evidence by manipulating cortical activity using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation method. We assessed whether anodal and cathodal stimulation of the VMPFC or the DLPFC modulates the processing of self-and other-related stimuli. Methods: We used an associative unbiased learning procedure, the so-called shape-label matching task, to assess the SPE in a sample of N = 90. We accomplished to overcome different methodological weaknesses of previous studies using different multichannel montages for excitatory and inhibitory effects over both the VMPFC and the DLPFC. Results: We found no effect of shape association for non-matching pairs, whereas there was an effect of shape association in the matching condition. Performance (reaction times and accuracy) was better for the self association than for the other two associations, and performance for the friend association was better than for the stranger fnins-14-00683
We have shown that a computer-based program that trains schoolchildren in cognitive tasks that ma... more We have shown that a computer-based program that trains schoolchildren in cognitive tasks that mainly tap working memory (WM), implemented by teachers and integrated into school routine, improved cognitive and academic skills compared with an active control group. Concretely, improvements were observed in inhibition skills, non-verbal IQ, mathematics and reading skills. Here, we focus on a subsample from the overarching study who volunteered to be scanned using a resting state fMRI protocol before and 6-month after training. This sample reproduced the aforementioned behavioral effects, and brain functional connectivity changes were observed within the attentional networks (ATN), linked to improvements in inhibitory control. Findings showed stronger relationships between inhibitory control scores and functional connectivity in a right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) cluster in trained children compared to children from the control group. Seed-based analyses revealed that connectivity between the r-MFG and homolateral parietal and superior temporal areas were more strongly related to inhibitory control in trained children compared to the control group. These findings highlight the relevance of computer-based cognitive training, integrated in real-life school environments, in boosting cognitive/academic performance and brain functional connectivity.
In categorization tasks, two memory systems may be involved in the learning of categories: one ex... more In categorization tasks, two memory systems may be involved in the learning of categories: one explicit and rule-based system and another implicit and procedure-based system. Learning of rule-based categories relies on some form of explicit reasoning, whereas procedural memory underlies information–integration category-learning tasks, in which performance is maximized only if information of two (or more) dimensions is integrated. The present study aimed at investigating the role of how feedback is administered, whether differential or non-differential, in procedural learning. An information–integration category-learning task was designed, where the to-be-categorized stimuli differed in two dimensions. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one group received the reinforcers for correct categorizations differentially, one for each category (the differential outcomes procedure, DOP), and the other group received the reinforcers randomly (the non-differential outcomes procedure, NOP). The participants of the DOP group showed better procedural learning in the categorization task, compared to the NOP group. Moreover, the analysis of learning strategies revealed that more participants developed more optimal strategies in the DOP group than in the NOP group. These results extend the benefits of the differential outcomes-based feedback to non-declarative memory tasks and help better understand the role of feedback in procedural learning.
Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown that children that differ in some... more Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown that children that differ in some mathematical abilities show differences in gray matter volume mainly in parietal and frontal regions that are involved in number processing, attentional control, and memory. In the present study, a structural neuroimaging analysis based on radiomics and machine learning models is presented with the aim of identifying the brain areas that better predict children’s performance in a variety of mathematical tests. A sample of 77 school-aged children from third to sixth grade were administered four mathematical tests: Math fluency, Calculation, Applied problems and Quantitative concepts as well as a structural brain imaging scan. By extracting radiomics related to the shape, intensity, and texture of specific brain areas, we observed that areas from the frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital lobes, basal ganglia, and limbic system, were differentially related to children’s performance in...
Brain areas related to mathematical abili- ties in children have been mainly assessed through the... more Brain areas related to mathematical abili- ties in children have been mainly assessed through their activation in fMRI, while volume-based analysis have been employed in sMRI to discover structural differ- ences. However, a recent technique in precision medicine allows to enhance the sMRI analysis by extracting a large number of features, also called radiomics, related to shape, intensity and texture from specific areas. In the present study, a structural neuroimaging analysis based on radiomics and machine learning models is pre- sented with the aim of identifying brain areas related to different mathematical tests. A total of 77 school- aged children from third to sixth grade were adminis- tered four mathematical tests: Math Fluency, Calcu- lation, Applied Problems and Concepts as well as a structural brain imaging scan. The results confirmed and extended the involvement of brain areas found in sMRI and fMRI literature such as the frontal, parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, ...
BackgroundCurrent theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict t... more BackgroundCurrent theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrainment via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha and theta frequencies on the frontoparietal network could prevent the drops in vigilance across time-on-task. Nonetheless, most previous studies have neglected both the fact that vigilance comprises two dissociable components (i.e. arousal and executive vigilance) and the potential role of differences in arousal baseline. MethodWe examined the effects of theta- and alpha-tACS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on both components of vigilance and on participants that differed in arousal baseline according to their chronotype and the time of testing. Intermediate-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal baseline was at the optimal level, whereas evening-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal baseline was at non-optimal levels. ResultsBoth theta- and alpha-tACS improved ...
It has recently been reported that the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) might be one of the ... more It has recently been reported that the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) might be one of the therapeutical techniques focused at promoting autonomy in the elderly to deal with their medical issues. Molina et al. (2015) found that a group of healthy young adults improved their learning and long-term retention of six disorder/pill associations when each relationship to be learned was associated with a particular reinforcer (the differential outcomes condition) compared to when they were randomly administered (the non-differential outcomes condition). In the present study, we extend these findings to older adults who usually show difficulties to remember to take their medications as prescribed. Participants were asked to learn the association between three pills and the specific time at the day when they had to take each medication. Two memory tests were also performed 1 h and 1 week after completing the training phase. Results showed a faster learning of the task and long-term ret...
Although several recent studies investigated the hemispheric contributions to the attentional net... more Although several recent studies investigated the hemispheric contributions to the attentional networks using the Attention Network Test (ANT), the role of the cerebral hemispheres in modulating the interaction among them remains unclear. In this study, two lateralized versions of this test (LANT) were used to investigate theal effects on the attentional networks under different conflict conditions. One version, the LANTI-A, presented arrows as target and flankers, while the other version, the LANTI-F, had fruits as target and flankers. Data collected from forty-seven participants confirmed well-known results on the efficiency and interactions among the attentional networks. Further, a left visual field advantage was found when a target occurred in an unattended location (e.g. invalid trials), only with the LANTI-F, but not with LANTI-A. The present study adds more evidence to the hemispheric asymmetry of the orienting of attention, and further reveals patterns of interactions betwee...
Abstract: En general, se ha considerado que una de las principales consecuencias de la atención e... more Abstract: En general, se ha considerado que una de las principales consecuencias de la atención es la de facilitar aquella parte de la información que recibe su influencia. No obstante, durante los últimos años han surgido una serie de trabajos que muestran actuaciones de la atención diferentes a las consideradas clásicamente. Así, en aquellas situaciones en que el sujeto tiene que seleccionar información para emitir una respuesta, la atención podría actuar también suprimiendo la información irrelevante. En este trabajo se ...
were interviewed about daily functioning. Improvements were noted for all participants, including... more were interviewed about daily functioning. Improvements were noted for all participants, including daily functioning, aspects of qEEG (spectra and ERP) and behavior (reaction time). Although it is doubtful that neurofeedback training can address the core problems associated with chronic fatigue (both CFS and IFS), it seems plausible that training can lead to some functional improvement for these patients.
r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the ... more r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the executive attention networks have been well established, surprisingly little is known about the potential neural interac-tion between them. Recent studies point out that spatial inhibition of return (IOR), a mechanism associated with the orienting network, and nonspatial inhibition of return, a mechanism associated with the executive network, might bias the organism for novel locations and objects, respectively. By orthogonally combining the spatial and the nonspatial IOR paradigms in this fMRI study, we demonstrate that the orienting and the executive networks interact and compensate each other in biasing the attention system for novelty. Behavior-ally, participants responded slower to the target at the old location only when the color of the target was novel, and participants responded slower to the old color representation only when the target appeared at a novel spatial location. Neu...
r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the ... more r r Abstract: Although the functional and anatomical independences between the orienting and the executive attention networks have been well established, surprisingly little is known about the potential neural interac-tion between them. Recent studies point out that spatial inhibition of return (IOR), a mechanism associated with the orienting network, and nonspatial inhibition of return, a mechanism associated with the executive network, might bias the organism for novel locations and objects, respectively. By orthogonally combining the spatial and the nonspatial IOR paradigms in this fMRI study, we demonstrate that the orienting and the executive networks interact and compensate each other in biasing the attention system for novelty. Behavior-ally, participants responded slower to the target at the old location only when the color of the target was novel, and participants responded slower to the old color representation only when the target appeared at a novel spatial location. Neu...
In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in y... more In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in younger adults, older adults, and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). In the first experiment, a semantic priming task measured age-and AD-related changes in attentional sensitivity to semantic information. In the second experiment, the semantic priming task was modified to additionally serve as a spatial inhibition of return (IOR) task. The combined semantic and spatial task measured (a) age-and AD-related changes in sensitivity to spatial cues as well as to semantic primes, and (b) interactions between the networks that subserve attention to semantic and spatial information. The results of both experiments revealed group differences in the utilization of semantic primes as a function of prime validity, suggesting that both older adults and AD patients were less likely than younger adults to generate controlled attention-dependent expectancies for semantically related information. Spatial IOR effects in Experiment 2 were evident in the performance of all three groups, but were of reduced magnitude in AD patients. Younger adults' performance reflected interactions between semantic priming and spatial cuing effects. These findings are consistent with conclusions that (a) selectivity via semantic primes and via spatial cues reflect separate attentional mechanisms, and (b) semantic and spatial aspects of attention are mediated by different but closely interconnected neural networks.
Current theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrai... more Current theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrainment via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha and theta frequencies on specific areas of the prefrontal cortex could prevent the drops in vigilance across time-on-task. Nonetheless, most previous studies have neglected both the fact that vigilance comprises two dissociable components (i.e., arousal and executive vigilance) and the potential role of differences in arousal levels. We examined the effects of theta- and alpha-tACS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in both components of vigilance and in participants who differed in arousal level according to their chronotype and time of testing. Intermediate-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal level was optimal, whereas evening-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal levels were non-optimal. Both theta- and alpha-tACS improved arousal vigilance in the psychomotor vigilance...
Task difficulty and response complexity modulate affective priming by emotional facial expression... more Task difficulty and response complexity modulate affective priming by emotional facial expressions Federica Sassi, Guillermo Campoy, Alejandro Castillo, Alberto Inuggi & Luis J. Fuentes a Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain b Basque Center on Cognition, Brain and Language, San Sebastián, Spain c Faculty of Psychology, University of Murcia, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, Murcia, Spain Accepted author version posted online: 20 Aug 2013.Published online: 25 Sep 2013.
Chronotype refers to the time of day preferred by individuals to perform daily activities accordi... more Chronotype refers to the time of day preferred by individuals to perform daily activities according to their circadian rhythm. We asked whether synchrony effects, that is, the difference in performance between the optimal and non-optimal time of day as a function of chronotype, are observed in two tasks that differently involve the endogenous component of the alerting network, the psychomotor visual task (PVT) and the flanker task. From an initial sample of 132 students that filled in the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), 18 were classified as Morning-types and 16 as Evening-types. Evening-types showed synchrony effects in both tasks, whereas Morning-types failed to show synchrony effects in the flanker task and when the PVT was first performed at the non-optimal time of day. Thus, Morning-types might have seen increased their vigilant attention at their non-optimal time of day due to the cognitive demands of the flanker task and to the novelty with the PVT. Phasic alerti...
In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in y... more In two experiments we explored the patterns of attention to semantic and spatial information in younger adults, older adults, and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In the first experiment, a semantic priming task measured age- and AD-related changes in attentional sensitivity to semantic information. In the second experiment, the semantic priming task was modified to additionally serve as a spatial inhibition of return (IOR) task. The combined semantic and spatial task measured (a) age- and AD-related changes in sensitivity to spatial cues as well as to semantic primes, and (b) interactions between the networks that subserve attention to semantic and spatial information. The results of both experiments revealed group differences in the utilization of semantic primes as a function of prime validity, suggesting that both older adults and AD patients were less likely than younger adults to generate controlled attention-dependent expectancies for semantically related information. ...
This study assessed whether inhibitory processes occurring in IOR aŒ ect perceptual processing of... more This study assessed whether inhibitory processes occurring in IOR aŒ ect perceptual processing of hierarchically organised stimuli. Experiment 1 used a global/local task that presented stimuli to the left or the right side. Results showed a global task advantage and a larger interference in the local than in the global task‐ the global precedence eŒ ect (GPE). These eŒ ects were larger than in previous studies using centrally presented stimuli, which suggests a greater involvement of low spatial frequency analysis with peripheral than with central stimuli. Experiment 2 combined the global/local task with IOR. Results replicated those of Experiment 1 but there was no interaction with stimulus location. That is, the GPE was not aŒ ected in IOR. Thus, we conclude that the GPE and inhibitory processing occurring in IOR are subserved by diŒ erent mechanisms. When a cue anticipates the location where the target will be presented, responses to targets appearing in that location will be spe...
Schizophrenia has been associated with deficits in several cognitive processes but mainly with at... more Schizophrenia has been associated with deficits in several cognitive processes but mainly with attention deficits. From a neurocognitive approach, attention has been conceptualized as a set of neural networks involved in the control of information processing. Two such networks have been described in visual attention: (1) the posterior attentional network, involved in visual orientation of attention, localized in posterior areas of the brain; and (2) the anterior attentional network, involved in executive functions mainly in attention to high level processing, such as semantic processing, localized in anterior areas of the brain. The neurocognitive studies of schizophrenia revised here suggest that the main attentional deficits associated with schizophrenia involve inhibitory processing of the anterior attentional network that takes place in the left hemisphere.
We typically observe a decrement in vigilance with time-on-task, which favors the propensity for ... more We typically observe a decrement in vigilance with time-on-task, which favors the propensity for mind-wandering, i.e., the shifting of attention from the task at hand to task-unrelated thoughts. Here, we examined participants’ mind-wandering, either intentional or unintentional, while performing vigilance tasks that tap different components of vigilance. Intentional mind-wandering is expected mainly when the arousal component is involved, whereas unintentional mind-wandering is expected mainly in tasks involving the executive component. The Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) assessed the arousal component, whereas the Sustained Attention to Response task (SART) assessed the executive component of vigilance. The two types of mind-wandering were probed throughout task execution. The results showed that the overall rate of mind-wandering was higher in the PVT than in the SART. Intentional mind-wandering was higher with the PVT than with the SART, whereas unintentional mind-wandering was ...
Background: Attention and perception are strongly biased toward information about oneself compare... more Background: Attention and perception are strongly biased toward information about oneself compared to information about others. The self-attention network, an integrative theoretical framework for understanding the self-prioritization effects (SPE), proposes that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), and the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) are the two nodes responsible for the preferential processing of selfrelated stimuli, which interact with the attentional control network (associated with the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, DLPFC), responsible for processing other-related stimuli. So far, neuroimaging studies have provided considerable correlational evidence supporting the self-attention network. Objective: Here we went beyond correlational evidence by manipulating cortical activity using high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS), a non-invasive brain stimulation method. We assessed whether anodal and cathodal stimulation of the VMPFC or the DLPFC modulates the processing of self-and other-related stimuli. Methods: We used an associative unbiased learning procedure, the so-called shape-label matching task, to assess the SPE in a sample of N = 90. We accomplished to overcome different methodological weaknesses of previous studies using different multichannel montages for excitatory and inhibitory effects over both the VMPFC and the DLPFC. Results: We found no effect of shape association for non-matching pairs, whereas there was an effect of shape association in the matching condition. Performance (reaction times and accuracy) was better for the self association than for the other two associations, and performance for the friend association was better than for the stranger fnins-14-00683
We have shown that a computer-based program that trains schoolchildren in cognitive tasks that ma... more We have shown that a computer-based program that trains schoolchildren in cognitive tasks that mainly tap working memory (WM), implemented by teachers and integrated into school routine, improved cognitive and academic skills compared with an active control group. Concretely, improvements were observed in inhibition skills, non-verbal IQ, mathematics and reading skills. Here, we focus on a subsample from the overarching study who volunteered to be scanned using a resting state fMRI protocol before and 6-month after training. This sample reproduced the aforementioned behavioral effects, and brain functional connectivity changes were observed within the attentional networks (ATN), linked to improvements in inhibitory control. Findings showed stronger relationships between inhibitory control scores and functional connectivity in a right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) cluster in trained children compared to children from the control group. Seed-based analyses revealed that connectivity between the r-MFG and homolateral parietal and superior temporal areas were more strongly related to inhibitory control in trained children compared to the control group. These findings highlight the relevance of computer-based cognitive training, integrated in real-life school environments, in boosting cognitive/academic performance and brain functional connectivity.
In categorization tasks, two memory systems may be involved in the learning of categories: one ex... more In categorization tasks, two memory systems may be involved in the learning of categories: one explicit and rule-based system and another implicit and procedure-based system. Learning of rule-based categories relies on some form of explicit reasoning, whereas procedural memory underlies information–integration category-learning tasks, in which performance is maximized only if information of two (or more) dimensions is integrated. The present study aimed at investigating the role of how feedback is administered, whether differential or non-differential, in procedural learning. An information–integration category-learning task was designed, where the to-be-categorized stimuli differed in two dimensions. Participants were randomly assigned to two groups: one group received the reinforcers for correct categorizations differentially, one for each category (the differential outcomes procedure, DOP), and the other group received the reinforcers randomly (the non-differential outcomes procedure, NOP). The participants of the DOP group showed better procedural learning in the categorization task, compared to the NOP group. Moreover, the analysis of learning strategies revealed that more participants developed more optimal strategies in the DOP group than in the NOP group. These results extend the benefits of the differential outcomes-based feedback to non-declarative memory tasks and help better understand the role of feedback in procedural learning.
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Papers by Luis Fuentes