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Distinct patterns of spatial attentional modulation of steady state visual evoked magnetic fields (SSVEFs) in subdivisions of the human early visual cortex
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  • Stephan Moratti,
  • Christopher Gundlach,
  • Javi Echegaray,
  • Matthias Müller
Stephan Moratti
Universidad Complutense de Madrid

Corresponding Author:smoratti@ucm.es

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Christopher Gundlach
Universität Leipzig
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Javi Echegaray
Universität Leipzig
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Matthias Müller
Universität Leipzig
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Abstract

In recent years, steady state visual evoked potentials (SSVEPs) became an increasingly valuable tool to investigate neural dynamics of competitive attentional interactions and brain computer interfaces. This is due to their good signal-to-noise ratio, allowing for single trial analysis and their ongoing oscillating nature that enables to analyze temporal dynamics of facilitation and suppression. Given the popularity of SSVEPs, it is surprising that only a few studies looked at the cortical sources of these responses. This is in particular the case when searching for studies that assessed the cortical sources of attentional SSVEP amplitude modulations. To address this issue, we used a typical spatial attention task and recorded neuromagnetic fields (MEG) while presenting frequency-tagged stimuli in the left and right visual field, respectively. Importantly, we controlled for attentional deployment in a baseline period before the shifting cue. Subjects either attended to a central fixation cross or to two peripheral stimuli simultaneously. Results clearly showed that signal sources and attention effects were restricted to early visual cortex: V1, V2, hMT+, precuneus, occipital-parietal and inferior-temporal cortex. When subjects attended to central fixation first, shifting attention to one of the peripheral stimuli resulted in a significant activation increase for the to-be-attended stimulus with no activation decrease for the to-be-ignored stimulus in hMT+ and inferio-temporal cortex, but significant SSVEF decreases from V1 to occipito-parietal cortex. When attention was first deployed to both rings, shifting attention away from one ring basically resulted in a significant activation decrease in all areas for the then to-be-ignored stimulus.
12 Jun 2023Submitted to Psychophysiology
12 Jun 2023Submission Checks Completed
12 Jun 2023Assigned to Editor
12 Jun 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
14 Jun 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
13 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
23 Aug 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
23 Aug 20231st Revision Received
23 Aug 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
19 Sep 2023Editorial Decision: Accept