Learning where and when to attend inside and outside the lab

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In everyday life we are bombarded with multi-sensory stimulation from the world around us. Our ability to selectively attend is vital to filtering out important features, locations, and moments in time while inhibiting unnecessary information. The proposed research program will investigate how the brain selectively attends to stimuli by studying oscillatory neural markers of attention. To accomplish these goals, a multidisciplinary approach will be adopted in which traditional cognitive neuroscience laboratory-based studies will be complemented with analogous studies in applied and real-world situations. Previous research has investigated the spatial distribution of our visual and auditory attention. Only recently have complementary studies into the mechanisms of attention to particular moments in time shown that entrainment of ongoing oscillations in brain activity plays an important role. In the proposed research program, a series of studies will investigate the role played by alpha oscillations in spatial and temporal attention. Rhythmic visual stimulation will precede target detection in and out of the focus of attention. Electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings will measure entrainment of oscillations in brain activity and relate these with observed oscillations in visual awareness following rhythmic stimulation. The ability of exogenous and endogenous attention to modulate these effects will be of interest. Ecologically valid activities such as driving, bike riding, sports, and games will be used in order to advance our understanding of attentional processes as they are employed in everyday life. To afford recording of brain activity in ecologically valid situations, cutting edge brain recording devices will be developed. Flexible electronic circuits embedded in adhesive material can record brain activity non-invasively while allowing for natural movement. Currently available portable EEG recording systems will be used to complement and test the development of these advanced materials. The proposed research will further our understanding of how the brain learns where and when to attend. Novel brain-computer interaction technologies will be developed in which individuals are given moment to moment feedback in order to improve their attentional deployment in space and time. Novel signal processing and materials techniques will be developed as part of this interdisciplinary program. Together, these results will be applied to improving attention during demanding activities such as driving and sports.