Causal links between parietal alpha activity and spatial auditory attention

Yuqi Deng; Robert Mg Reinhart; Inyong Choi; Barbara G Shinn-Cunningham

doi:10.7554/eLife.51184

Back

Causal links between parietal alpha activity and spatial auditory attention

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Causal links between parietal alpha activity and spatial auditory attention

Yuqi Deng, Robert Mg Reinhart, Inyong Choi and Barbara G Shinn-Cunningham

eLife, Vol.8, e51184

11/29/2019

DOI: 10.7554/eLife.51184

PMCID: PMC6904218

PMID: 31782732

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.51184View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Both visual and auditory spatial selective attention result in lateralized alpha (8-14 Hz) oscillatory power in parietal cortex: alpha increases in the hemisphere ipsilateral to attentional focus. Brain stimulation studies suggest a causal relationship between parietal alpha and suppression of the representation of contralateral visual space. However, there is no evidence that parietal alpha controls auditory spatial attention. Here, we performed high definition transcranial alternating current stimulation (HD-tACS) on human subjects performing an auditory task in which they directed attention based on either spatial or nonspatial features. Alpha (10 Hz) but not theta (6 Hz) HD-tACS of right parietal cortex interfered with attending left but not right auditory space. Parietal stimulation had no effect for nonspatial auditory attention. Moreover, performance in post-stimulation trials returned rapidly to baseline. These results demonstrate a causal, frequency-, hemispheric-, and task-specific effect of parietal alpha brain stimulation on top-down control of auditory spatial attention.

Adolescent

Adult

Alpha Rhythm

Attention

Auditory Perception

Female

Healthy Volunteers

Humans

Male

Parietal Lobe - physiology

Spatial Processing

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation

Young Adult

Details

Title: Subtitle: Causal links between parietal alpha activity and spatial auditory attention
Creators: Yuqi Deng - Boston University
Robert Mg Reinhart - Boston University
Inyong Choi - University of Iowa
Barbara G Shinn-Cunningham - Boston University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: eLife, Vol.8, e51184
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.51184
PMID: 31782732
PMCID: PMC6904218
NLM abbreviation: Elife
ISSN: 2050-084X
eISSN: 2050-084X
Grant note: R01 DC015988 / NIH HHS R01 MH-114877 / NIH HHS N000141812069 / Office of Naval Research
Language: English
Date published: 11/29/2019
Academic Unit: Communication Sciences and Disorders; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
Record Identifier: 9984258844302771

Metrics

21 Record Views

60 Times Cited - Web of Science