title: The role of the locus coeruleus in mediating the attentional blink: a neurocomputational theory.
abstract: The attentional blink refers to the transient impairment in perceiving the 2nd of 2 targets presented in close temporal proximity. In this article, the authors propose a neurobiological mechanism for this effect. The authors extend a recently developed computational model of the potentiating influence of the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system on information processing and hypothesize that a refractoriness in the function of this system may account for the attentional blink. The model accurately simulates the time course of the attentional blink, including Lag 1 sparing. The theory also offers an account of the close relationship of the attentional blink to the electrophysiological P3 component. The authors report results from two behavioral experiments that support a critical prediction of their theory regarding the time course of Lag 1 sparing. Finally, the relationship between the authors' neurocomputational theory and existing cognitive theories of the attentional blink is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Princeton University, NJ, USA. stn20@dds.nl
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nieuwenhuis
authors.forename: Mark S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Gilzenrat
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Jonathan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D018913:Event-Related Potentials, P300 / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology*; D016571:Neural Networks, Computer; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012032:Refractory Period, Electrophysiological / Q000502:physiology*