Attention & Working memory Flashcards
What is norepinephrine?
Becoming “alert” is associated with the release of norepinephrine from the locus coeruleus in the pons, which is distributed widely throughout the brain
What happens when norepinephrine is released onto sensory neurons?
there is an increase in the
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of their responses
to stimuli
enhanced attention
What is a signal-to-noise ratio?
the ability of the attentional system to effectively process relevant signals while minimizing the impact of distracting noise.
When the SNR is high, it means that the signal (relevant information) is strong and easily discernible from the noise (irrelevant information).
What is attention?
Attention selects some information to be processed deeply while filtering out irrelevant information
What is bottom-up salience?
bottom-up salience refers to the ability of a stimulus to automatically capture attention based on its intrinsic characteristics.
It refers to the ability of certain features or properties of a stimulus to capture attention automatically and involuntarily, independent of an individual’s goals or intentions.
What is top-down control?
goal-oriented attention
top-down control refers to the voluntary and goal-directed influence of higher-level cognitive processes on attention and perception.
It allows individuals to direct their attention selectively based on their goals, expectations, and knowledge, enabling them to focus on task-relevant information and filter out distractions.
What brain areas are involved in bottom-up attention?
1) TPJ: temporoparietal junction
2) VFC: ventral frontal cortex
What brain areas are involved in top-down, goal-directed attention?
1) IPS: intraparietal sulcus
2) FEF: frontal eye fields. Involved in directing both overt spatial attention (eye movements) and covert spatial attention
What is ADHD?
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
People with ADHD can attend selectivity and focus on tasks.
They do better at that when tasks are demanding, interesting, rewarding
What happens if there is damage to the right posterior parietal cortex?
Often from stroke damage to the right posterior
parietal cortex, causing neglect of the left side
of space
Associated with stimulus-driven attention.
Salient things on the left don’t “pop out”
What is working memory?
Low-capacity, short-term, effortful storage of information
What brain areas does working memory involve?
the prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex
What is the delay period in working memory?
During the delay period, the information that needs to be held in working memory must be actively maintained to be available for subsequent processing or recall.
Why is the delay period important?
Delay period activity is crucial for the maintenance of information held in working memory.
It involves the persistent firing of neurons in specific brain regions associated with working memory, such as the prefrontal cortex and posterior parietal cortex.
This sustained neural activity allows the representation of the relevant information to be actively maintained, preventing its decay or interference.
