title: Activation of attention networks using frequency analysis of a simple auditory-motor paradigm.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to devise a paradigm that stimulates attention using a frequency-based analysis of the data acquired during a motor task. Six adults (30-40 years of age) and one child (10 years) were studied. Each subject was requested to attend to "start" and "stop" commands every 20 s alternatively and had to respond with the motor task every second time. Attention was stimulated during a block-designed, motor paradigm in which a start-stop commands cycle produced activation at the fourth harmonic of the motor frequency. We disentangled the motor and attention functions using statistical analysis with subspaces spanned by vectors generated by a truncated trigonometric series of motor and attention frequency. During our auditory-motor paradigm, all subjects showed activation in areas that belong to an extensive attention network. Attention and motor functions were coactivated but with different frequencies. While the motor-task-related areas were activated with slower frequency than attention, the activation in the attention-related areas was enhanced every time the subject had to start or end the motor task. We suggest that although a simple block-designed, auditory-motor paradigm stimulates the attention network, motor preparation, and motor inhibition concurrently, a frequency-based analysis can distinguish attention from motor functions. Due to its simplicity the paradigm can be valuable in studying children with attention deficit disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02478, USA.
authors.forename: Loukas G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Astrakas
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Teicher
authors.forename: A Aria
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tzika
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D012016:Reference Values; D013067:Speech Perception / Q000502:physiology*