Unraveling the Relation between EEG Correlates of Attentional Orienting and Sound Localization Performance: A Diffusion Model Approach

Abstract

Abstract Understanding the contribution of cognitive processes and their underlying neurophysiological signals to behavioral phenomena has been a key objective in recent neuroscience research. Using a diffusion model framework, we investigated to what extent well-established correlates of spatial attention in the electroencephalogram contribute to behavioral performance in an auditory free-field sound localization task. Younger and older participants were instructed to indicate the horizontal position of a predefined target among three simultaneously presented distractors. The central question of interest was whether posterior alpha lateralization and amplitudes of the anterior contralateral N2 subcomponent (N2ac) predict sound localization performance (accuracy, mean RT) and/or diffusion model parameters (drift rate, boundary separation, non-decision time). Two age groups were compared to explore whether, in older adults (who struggle with multispeaker environments), the brain–behavior relationship would differ from younger adults. Regression analyses revealed that N2ac amplitudes predicted drift rate and accuracy, whereas alpha lateralization was not related to behavioral or diffusion modeling parameters. This was true irrespective of age. The results indicate that a more efficient attentional filtering and selection of information within an auditory scene, reflected by increased N2ac amplitudes, was associated with a higher speed of information uptake (drift rate) and better localization performance (accuracy), while the underlying response criteria (threshold separation), mean RTs, and non-decisional processes remained unaffected. The lack of a behavioral correlate of poststimulus alpha power lateralization constrasts with the well-established notion that prestimulus alpha power reflects a functionally relevant attentional mechanism. This highlights the importance of distinguishing anticipatory from poststimulus alpha power modulations.

Autoren

Laura-Isabelle Klatt
Daniel Schneider
Anna-Lena Schubert
Christina Hanenberg
Jörg Lewald
Edmund Wascher
Stephan Getzmann

DOI

10.1162/jocn_a_01525

eISSN

1530-8898

ISSN

0898-929X

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

5

Zeitschrift

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

Sprache

en

Online publication date

2020

Paginierung

945 - 962

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2020

Status

Published

Herausgeber

MIT Press

Herausgeber URL

http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01525

Datum der Datenerfassung

2022

Titel

Unraveling the Relation between EEG Correlates of Attentional Orienting and Sound Localization Performance: A Diffusion Model Approach

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

32

Datenquelle: Crossref

Abstract

Understanding the contribution of cognitive processes and their underlying neurophysiological signals to behavioral phenomena has been a key objective in recent neuroscience research. Using a diffusion model framework, we investigated to what extent well-established correlates of spatial attention in the electroencephalogram contribute to behavioral performance in an auditory free-field sound localization task. Younger and older participants were instructed to indicate the horizontal position of a predefined target among three simultaneously presented distractors. The central question of interest was whether posterior alpha lateralization and amplitudes of the anterior contralateral N2 subcomponent (N2ac) predict sound localization performance (accuracy, mean RT) and/or diffusion model parameters (drift rate, boundary separation, non-decision time). Two age groups were compared to explore whether, in older adults (who struggle with multispeaker environments), the brain-behavior relationship would differ from younger adults. Regression analyses revealed that N2ac amplitudes predicted drift rate and accuracy, whereas alpha lateralization was not related to behavioral or diffusion modeling parameters. This was true irrespective of age. The results indicate that a more efficient attentional filtering and selection of information within an auditory scene, reflected by increased N2ac amplitudes, was associated with a higher speed of information uptake (drift rate) and better localization performance (accuracy), while the underlying response criteria (threshold separation), mean RTs, and non-decisional processes remained unaffected. The lack of a behavioral correlate of poststimulus alpha power lateralization constrasts with the well-established notion that prestimulus alpha power reflects a functionally relevant attentional mechanism. This highlights the importance of distinguishing anticipatory from poststimulus alpha power modulations.

Addresses

Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors.

Autoren

Laura-Isabelle Klatt
Daniel Schneider
Anna-Lena Schubert
Christina Hanenberg
Jörg Lewald
Edmund Wascher
Stephan Getzmann

DOI

10.1162/jocn_a_01525

eISSN

1530-8898

Externe Identifier

PubMed Identifier: 31933435

Open access

false

ISSN

0898-929X

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

5

Zeitschrift

Journal of cognitive neuroscience

Schlüsselwörter

Humans
Alpha Rhythm
Orientation
Auditory Perception
Sound Localization
Psychomotor Performance
Attention
Age Factors
Evoked Potentials
Models, Psychological
Adult
Aged
Middle Aged
Female
Male
Functional Laterality
Young Adult
Anticipation, Psychological

Sprache

eng

Medium

Print-Electronic

Online publication date

2020

Paginierung

945 - 962

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2020

Status

Published

Datum der Datenerfassung

2020

Titel

Unraveling the Relation between EEG Correlates of Attentional Orienting and Sound Localization Performance: A Diffusion Model Approach.

Sub types

Comparative Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal Article

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

32

Datenquelle: Europe PubMed Central

Abstract

Understanding the contribution of cognitive processes and their underlying neurophysiological signals to behavioral phenomena has been a key objective in recent neuroscience research. Using a diffusion model framework, we investigated to what extent well-established correlates of spatial attention in the electroencephalogram contribute to behavioral performance in an auditory free-field sound localization task. Younger and older participants were instructed to indicate the horizontal position of a predefined target among three simultaneously presented distractors. The central question of interest was whether posterior alpha lateralization and amplitudes of the anterior contralateral N2 subcomponent (N2ac) predict sound localization performance (accuracy, mean RT) and/or diffusion model parameters (drift rate, boundary separation, non-decision time). Two age groups were compared to explore whether, in older adults (who struggle with multispeaker environments), the brain-behavior relationship would differ from younger adults. Regression analyses revealed that N2ac amplitudes predicted drift rate and accuracy, whereas alpha lateralization was not related to behavioral or diffusion modeling parameters. This was true irrespective of age. The results indicate that a more efficient attentional filtering and selection of information within an auditory scene, reflected by increased N2ac amplitudes, was associated with a higher speed of information uptake (drift rate) and better localization performance (accuracy), while the underlying response criteria (threshold separation), mean RTs, and non-decisional processes remained unaffected. The lack of a behavioral correlate of poststimulus alpha power lateralization constrasts with the well-established notion that prestimulus alpha power reflects a functionally relevant attentional mechanism. This highlights the importance of distinguishing anticipatory from poststimulus alpha power modulations.

Autoren

Laura-Isabelle Klatt
Daniel Schneider
Anna-Lena Schubert
Christina Hanenberg
Jörg Lewald
Edmund Wascher
Stephan Getzmann

Autoren-URL

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31933435

DOI

10.1162/jocn_a_01525

eISSN

1530-8898

Ausgabe der Veröffentlichung

5

Zeitschrift

J Cogn Neurosci

Schlüsselwörter

Adult
Age Factors
Aged
Alpha Rhythm
Anticipation, Psychological
Attention
Auditory Perception
Evoked Potentials
Female
Functional Laterality
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Models, Psychological
Orientation
Psychomotor Performance
Sound Localization
Young Adult

Sprache

eng

Country

United States

Paginierung

945 - 962

Datum der Veröffentlichung

2020

Status

Published

Datum, an dem der Datensatz öffentlich gemacht wurde

2021

Titel

Unraveling the Relation between EEG Correlates of Attentional Orienting and Sound Localization Performance: A Diffusion Model Approach.

Sub types

Comparative Study
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Ausgabe der Zeitschrift

32

Datenquelle: PubMed

Unraveling the Relation between EEG Correlates of Attentional Orienting and Sound Localization Performance: A Diffusion Model Approach

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