Learning where and when to attend inside and outside the lab

在日常生活中，我们受到来自周围世界的多感官刺激的轰炸。我们有选择地参与的能力对于过滤掉重要的特征、位置和时刻，同时抑制不必要的信息至关重要。拟议的研究计划将通过研究注意力的振荡神经标记来研究大脑如何选择性地注意刺激。为了实现这些目标，将采用多学科方法，其中传统的认知神经科学实验室为基础的研究将与应用和现实世界中的类似研究相补充。 以前的研究已经调查了我们的视觉和听觉注意力的空间分布。直到最近，对特定时刻的注意机制的补充研究才表明，大脑活动中持续振荡的夹带起着重要作用。在拟议的研究计划中，一系列研究将调查阿尔法振荡在空间和时间注意力中所发挥的作用。有节奏的视觉刺激将先于目标检测进入和离开注意力的焦点。脑电图（EEG）记录将测量脑活动中振荡的夹带，并将这些与节律刺激后观察到的视觉意识振荡相关联。外源性和内源性注意调节这些效应的能力将是有趣的。 我们将使用有效的活动，如驾驶，骑自行车，运动和游戏，以促进我们对注意力过程的理解，因为它们在日常生活中被使用。为了在生态有效的情况下记录大脑活动，将开发尖端的大脑记录设备。嵌入粘合材料中的柔性电子电路可以非侵入性地记录大脑活动，同时允许自然运动。目前可用的便携式脑电图记录系统将用于补充和测试这些先进材料的开发。 这项拟议中的研究将进一步加深我们对大脑如何学习何时何地参加的理解。新的脑机交互技术将被开发出来，在这种技术中，个体被给予时刻到时刻的反馈，以改善他们在空间和时间上的注意力部署。新的信号处理和材料技术将作为这个跨学科计划的一部分开发。总之，这些结果将用于提高驾驶和运动等高要求活动的注意力。

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.