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。我们选择性出席的能力对于及时过滤掉重要的特征、位置和时刻，同时抑制不必要的信息至关重要。这项拟议的研究计划将通过研究注意力的振荡神经标记物来研究大脑如何选择性地注意到刺激。为了实现这些目标，将采用多学科方法，以传统的认知神经科学实验室研究为补充，在应用和现实世界的情况下进行类似的研究。*之前的研究已经调查了我们视觉和听觉注意力的空间分布。直到最近，对注意特定时刻的机制的补充研究才表明，大脑活动中持续振荡的夹带起到了重要作用。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起的作用。有节奏的视觉刺激将先于对关注焦点内外的目标进行检测。脑电(EEG)记录将测量大脑活动中的振荡的夹带，并将这些与在节律刺激后观察到的视觉意识的振荡联系起来。外源性和内源性注意力调节这些影响的能力将是令人感兴趣的。*将使用驾驶、骑自行车、运动和游戏等生态有效的活动，以促进我们对日常生活中使用的注意力过程的理解。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。嵌入粘性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，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分配。作为这一跨学科计划的一部分，将开发新的信号处理和材料技术。总而言之，这些结果将应用于在驾驶和运动等高要求活动中提高注意力。**

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. **