Spatial Attention
Spatial Attention - Related Videos
09:37
Measurement of Neurophysiological Signals of Ignoring and Attending Processes in Attention Control
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Cited by 5 •
2015
Attention control comprises enhancement of target signals and attenuation of distractor signals. We describe an approach to measure separately but concurrently, the neurophysiology of attending and ignoring in sustained intermodal attention, utilizing a passive control condition during which neither process is continuously engaged.
09:59
Visual Attention: fMRI Investigation of Object-based Attentional Control
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2023
Source: Laboratories of Jonas T. Kaplan and Sarah I. Gimbel— University of Southern California The human visual system is incredibly sophisticated and capable of processing large amounts of information very quickly. However, the brain's capacity to process information is not an unlimited resource. Attention, the ability to selectively process information that is relevant to current goals and to ignore information that is not, is therefore an essential part of visual perception. Some aspects of...
08:52
The Attentional Blink
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Jonathan Flombaum—Johns Hopkins University In order for recognition of a certain stimulus to take place, visual attention needs to be directed towards said stimulus. To the earliest parts of the visual system, objects are not objects, they are collections of visual features-lines, corners, changes in texture, color, and light. Attention is the resource that is necessary for later processing in order to recognize what a given bundle of features adds up to. This makes...
07:51
Spatial Cueing
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2023
Source: Laboratory of Jonathan Flombaum—Johns Hopkins University Attention refers to the limited human ability to select some information for processing at the expense of other stimuli in the environment. Attention operates in all sensory modalities: vision, hearing, touch, even taste and smell. It is most often studied in the visual domain though. A common way to study visual attention is with a spatial cueing paradigm. This paradigm allows researchers to measure the consequences of focusing...
08:52
Spatial Molecular Imaging of the Glycome Using Mass Spectrometry
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Cited by 1 •
2025
This protocol details the key steps to enable rigorous and reproducible measurement of both glycogen and N-linked glycans using mass spectrometry imaging.
FAQs
Attention networks can bias sensory processing toward a selected region even when the eyes remain directed elsewhere. This separation between attentional orienting and eye movement allows researchers to examine selection itself rather than treating gaze as its only indicator. In clinical testing, such measures can help identify impaired prioritization of locations after neurological injury.
Top-down signals from attention networks establish which region should receive priority, while incoming visual, auditory, or tactile signals provide information about events occurring across space. Their interaction determines how competing stimuli are processed. Examining both influences helps connect a person's behavioral response with the brain processes supporting selective orienting.
Spatial selection is not limited to vision. Visual, auditory, and tactile signals can each provide information about where relevant or competing events occur. Studying these modalities broadens assessment of orienting and may show whether a difficulty is tied to a particular sensory context or reflects a more general problem with prioritizing locations.
A basic approach is to present targets at different spatial locations and measure how responses vary across those positions. Uneven responses can reveal impaired orienting or reduced attention to part of space. This behavioral information gives clinicians and researchers a way to relate observed performance to brain function without relying solely on a general description of symptoms.
Assessment is particularly relevant in stroke-related hemispatial neglect, traumatic brain injury, neurodegenerative disease, and developmental disorders. In these settings, responses to targets across space can help characterize how attention is allocated and whether orienting is impaired. The resulting profile supports comparison of behavioral difficulties with the neurological condition under investigation.
Repeated measurement of responses across space can indicate whether impaired orienting changes over time. These results may help guide rehabilitation by identifying the spatial difficulties that require attention and by providing an outcome measure for recovery. Linking behavioral performance with brain function also helps researchers evaluate whether observed improvement reflects altered attentional processing.