title: Transient spatial attention modulates distinct components of the auditory ERP.
abstract: We recorded ERPs to pairs of externally presented tones, T1 and T2, in the absence of attentional cues to determine whether attention is momentarily sustained at the location of a behaviourally relevant sound, and what effect this focusing of attention might have on the neural response to target stimuli. ERPs to T2 were more negative when the preceding T1 was presented on the same side of fixation than when T1 was presented on the opposite side of fixation. This negative difference consisted of an early, parietal phase and a later, frontocentral phase. These results confirm and extend previously reported effects of transient spatial attention on auditory ERPs, and they demonstrate that transient spatial attention has a distinct and robust effect on the early stages of stimulus processing in the auditory system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tata
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Prime
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000502:physiology*; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013017:Sound Localization / Q000502:physiology*; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*