title: A new method for computing attention network scores and relationships between attention networks.
abstract: The attention network test (ANT) is a reliable tool to detect the efficiency of alerting, orienting, and executive control networks. However, studies using the ANT obtained inconsistent relationships between attention networks due to two reasons: on the one hand, the inter-network relationships of attention subsystems were far from clear; on the other hand, ANT scores in previous studies were disturbed by possible inter-network interactions. Here we proposed a new computing method by dissecting cue-target conditions to estimate ANT scores and relationships between attention networks as pure as possible. The method was tested in 36 participants. Comparing to the original method, the new method showed a larger alerting score and a smaller executive control score, and revealed interactions between alerting and executive control and between orienting and executive control. More interestingly, the new method revealed unidirectional influences from alerting to executive control and from executive control to orienting. These findings provided useful information for better understanding attention networks and their relationships in the ANT. Finally, the relationships of attention networks should be considered with more experimental paradigms and techniques.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yi-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Political Science and Public Administration, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ya-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Huo
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feng-Mei
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Heng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China; School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hua-Fu
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention; D056344:Executive Function; D006801:Humans; D015203:Reproducibility of Results