Spatial attention is not affected by alpha or beta transcranial alternating current stimulation: A registered report

Article


Silas, J., Jones, A., Yarrow, K. and Anderson, W. 2023. Spatial attention is not affected by alpha or beta transcranial alternating current stimulation: A registered report. Cortex. 164, pp. 33-50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.03.011
TypeArticle
TitleSpatial attention is not affected by alpha or beta transcranial alternating current stimulation: A registered report
AuthorsSilas, J., Jones, A., Yarrow, K. and Anderson, W.
Abstract

Using Electroencephalography (EEG) an event-related change in alpha activity has been observed over primary sensory cortices during the allocation of spatial attention. This is most prominent during top-down, or endogenous, attention, and nearly absent in bottom-up, or exogenous orienting. These changes are highly lateralised, such that an increase in alpha power is seen ipsilateral to the attended region of space and a decrease is seen contralaterally. Whether these changes in alpha oscillatory activity are causally related to attentional resources, or to perceptual processes, or are simply epiphenomenal, is unknown. If alpha oscillations are indicative of a causal mechanism whereby attention is allocated to a region of space, it remains an open question as to whether this is driven by ipsilateral increases or contralateral decreases in alpha power. This preregistered report set out to test these questions. To do so, we used transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) to modulate alpha activity in the somatosensory cortex whilst measuring performance on established tactile attention paradigms. All participants completed an endogenous and exogenous tactile attention task in three stimulation conditions; alpha, sham and beta. Sham and beta stimulation operated as controls so that any observed effects could be attributed to alpha stimulation specifically. We replicated previous behavioural findings in all stimulation conditions showing a facilitation of cued trials in the endogenous task, and inhibition of return in the exogenous task. However, these were not affected by stimulation manipulations. Using Bayes-factor analysis we show strong support for the null hypotheses – that the manipulation of Alpha by tACS does not cause changes in tactile spatial attention. This well-powered study, conducted over three separate days, is an important contribution to the current debate regarding the efficiency of brain stimulation.

KeywordstACS; Tactile attention; Endogenous; Exogenous; Pre-registration
Sustainable Development Goals3 Good health and well-being
Middlesex University ThemeHealth & Wellbeing
PublisherElsevier
JournalCortex
ISSN0010-9452
Publication dates
Online18 Apr 2023
Print31 Jul 2023
Publication process dates
Deposited09 May 2023
Submitted19 Dec 2022
Accepted30 Mar 2023
Output statusPublished
Publisher's version
License
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.03.011
Web of Science identifierWOS:000998281900001
LanguageEnglish
Permalink -

https://repository.mdx.ac.uk/item/8q602

Download files


Publisher's version
  • 81
    total views
  • 32
    total downloads
  • 0
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month

Export as

Related outputs

Do words compete as we speak? A systematic review of picture-word interference (PWI) studies investigating the nature of lexical selection
Korko.M., Bose, A., Jones, A., Coulson, M and De Mornay Davies, P. 2024. Do words compete as we speak? A systematic review of picture-word interference (PWI) studies investigating the nature of lexical selection. Psychology of Language and Communication. 28 (1), pp. 261-322. https://doi.org/10.58734/plc-2024-0011
Rhythmic temporal cues coordinate cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling during memory encoding
Townsend, P., Jones, A., Patel, A. and Race, E. 2024. Rhythmic temporal cues coordinate cross-frequency phase-amplitude coupling during memory encoding. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 36 (10), pp. 2100-2116. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02217
The many facets of inhibitory control and their role in syntactic selection
Korko, M., Coulson, M., Jones, A. and De Mornay Davies, P. 2023. The many facets of inhibitory control and their role in syntactic selection. Language and Cognition. pp. 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1017/langcog.2023.44
Bridging neuroscience and robotics: spiking neural networks in action
Jones, A., Gandhi, V., Mahiddine, A. and Huyck, C. 2023. Bridging neuroscience and robotics: spiking neural networks in action. Sensors. 23 (21), pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23218880
Null effects of temporal prediction on recognition memory but evidence for differential neural activity at encoding. A registered report
Jones, A., Silas, J., Anderson, W. and Ward, E. 2023. Null effects of temporal prediction on recognition memory but evidence for differential neural activity at encoding. A registered report. Cortex. 169, pp. 130-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2023.09.006
Intra-active signatures in Capoeira: more-than-human pathways towards activism
Allegranti, B. and Silas, J. 2021. Intra-active signatures in Capoeira: more-than-human pathways towards activism. Emotion, Space and Society. 38, pp. 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emospa.2020.100747
Temporal expectation improves recognition memory for spatially attended objects
Jones, A., Ward, E., Csiszer, E. and Szymczak, J. 2022. Temporal expectation improves recognition memory for spatially attended objects. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 34 (9), pp. 1616-1629. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01872
The seductive allure of technical language and its effect on covid-19 vaccine beliefs and intentions
Silas, J., Jones, A., Ayton, P. and Weiss-Cohen, L. 2021. The seductive allure of technical language and its effect on covid-19 vaccine beliefs and intentions. Vaccine. 39 (52), pp. 7590-7597. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2021.11.027
Types of interference and their resolution in monolingual word production
Korko, M., Coulson, M., Jones, A. and De Mornay Davies, P. 2021. Types of interference and their resolution in monolingual word production. Acta Psychologica. 214, pp. 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103251
Exploring the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness in youth aged 7–17 years
Jones, A., Silas, J., Todd, J., Stewart, A., Acree, M., Coulson, M. and Mehling, W. 2021. Exploring the multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness in youth aged 7–17 years. Journal of Clinical Psychology. 77 (3), pp. 661-682. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23067
Do somatosensory oscillations relate to tactile attention? Extracting the phase of transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) during stimulus presentation.
Anderson, W. 2019. Do somatosensory oscillations relate to tactile attention? Extracting the phase of transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation (tACS) during stimulus presentation. Masters thesis Middlesex University School of Science and Technology
Event-related alpha desynchronization in touch - comparing attention and perception
Silas, J., Tipple, A. and Jones, A. 2019. Event-related alpha desynchronization in touch - comparing attention and perception. Neuroscience Letters. 705, pp. 131-137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2019.04.058
Rhythmic temporal structure at encoding enhances recognition memory
Jones, A. and Ward, E. 2019. Rhythmic temporal structure at encoding enhances recognition memory. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 31 (10), pp. 1549-1562. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_01431
Temporal expectancies and rhythmic cueing in touch: the influence of spatial attention
Jones, A. 2019. Temporal expectancies and rhythmic cueing in touch: the influence of spatial attention. Cognition. 182, pp. 140-150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2018.09.011
The multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, version 2 (MAIA-2)
Mehling, W., Acree, M., Stewart, A., Silas, J. and Jones, A. 2018. The multidimensional assessment of interoceptive awareness, version 2 (MAIA-2). PLoS ONE. 13 (12), pp. 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208034
Electrophysiological evidence for changes in attentional orienting and selection in functional somatic symptoms
Karlinski, M., Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2019. Electrophysiological evidence for changes in attentional orienting and selection in functional somatic symptoms. Clinical Neurophysiology. 130 (1), pp. 85-92. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2018.09.027
Influence of temporal lobe epilepsy and temporal lobe resection on olfaction
Doty, R., Tourbier, I., Neff, J., Silas, J., Turetsky, B., Moberg, P., Kim, T., Pluta, J., French, J., Sharan, A., Sperling, M., Mirza, N., Risser, A., Baltuch, G. and Detre, J. 2018. Influence of temporal lobe epilepsy and temporal lobe resection on olfaction. Journal of Neurology. 265 (7), pp. 1654-1665. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-018-8891-y
Neuron-based control mechanisms for a robotic arm and hand
Singh, N., Huyck, C., Gandhi, V. and Jones, A. 2017. Neuron-based control mechanisms for a robotic arm and hand. International Journal of Computer, Electrical, Automation, Control and Information Engineering. 11 (2), pp. 221-229. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1128871
Temporal expectancies driven by self- and externally generated rhythms
Jones, A., Hsu, Y., Granjon, L. and Waszak, F. 2017. Temporal expectancies driven by self- and externally generated rhythms. NeuroImage. 156, pp. 352-362. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.05.042
Motor-evoked potentials reveal a motor-cortical readout of evidence accumulation for sensorimotor decisions
Yarrow, K., Hadar, A., Rowe, P., Di Costa, S. and Jones, A. 2015. Motor-evoked potentials reveal a motor-cortical readout of evidence accumulation for sensorimotor decisions. VSS 2015: Vision Sciences Society 15th Annual Meeting. Florida, USA 15 - 20 May 2015 pp. 49
Frontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) abolishes list-method directed forgetting
Silas, J. and Brandt, K. 2016. Frontal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) abolishes list-method directed forgetting. Neuroscience Letters. 616, pp. 166-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2016.01.035
Motor‐evoked potentials reveal a motor‐cortical readout of evidence accumulation for sensorimotor decisions
Hadar, A., Rowe, P., Di Costa, S., Jones, A. and Yarrow, K. 2016. Motor‐evoked potentials reveal a motor‐cortical readout of evidence accumulation for sensorimotor decisions. Psychophysiology. 53 (11), pp. 1721-1731. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12737
The attentive homunculus: ERP evidence for somatotopic allocation of attention in tactile search
Forster, B., Tziraki, M. and Jones, A. 2016. The attentive homunculus: ERP evidence for somatotopic allocation of attention in tactile search. Neuropsychologia. 84, pp. 158-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.02.009
Body in mind
Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2015. Body in mind. Frontiers in Psychology. 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00056
Taste function in early stage treated and untreated Parkinson’s disease
Doty, R., Nsoesie, M., Chung, I., Osman, A., Pawasarat, I., Caulfield, J., Hurtig, H., Silas, J., Dubroff, J., Duda, J., Ying, G., Tekeli, H. and Leon-Sarmiento, F. 2015. Taste function in early stage treated and untreated Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Neurology. 262 (3), pp. 547-557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00415-014-7589-z
Independent effects of bottom-up temporal expectancy and top-down spatial attention. An audiovisual study using rhythmic cueing
Jones, A. 2015. Independent effects of bottom-up temporal expectancy and top-down spatial attention. An audiovisual study using rhythmic cueing. Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience. 8, pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnint.2014.00096
Neural correlates of endogenous attention, exogenous attention and inhibition of return in touch
Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2014. Neural correlates of endogenous attention, exogenous attention and inhibition of return in touch. European Journal of Neuroscience. 40 (2), pp. 2389-2398. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.12583
The interaction between attention and motor prediction. An ERP study
Jones, A., Hughes, G. and Waszak, F. 2013. The interaction between attention and motor prediction. An ERP study. NeuroImage. 83, pp. 533-541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.07.004
Neural correlates of automatic attention in touch: event related potentials and behavioural measures
Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2010. Neural correlates of automatic attention in touch: event related potentials and behavioural measures. Psychophysiology. 47 (S1), p. S53. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.2010.01111.x
The interaction between attention and action expectation. An ERP study
Jones, A., Hughes, G. and Waszak, F. 2013. The interaction between attention and action expectation. An ERP study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. S, pp. 115-115.
Independent effects of endogenous and exogenous attention in touch
Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2013. Independent effects of endogenous and exogenous attention in touch. Somatosensory and Motor Research. https://doi.org/10.3109/08990220.2013.779243
Lost in vision: ERP correlates of exogenous tactile attention when engaging in a visual task
Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2013. Lost in vision: ERP correlates of exogenous tactile attention when engaging in a visual task. Neuropsychologia. 51 (4), pp. 675-685. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.01.010
Reflexive attention in touch: an investigation of event related potentials and behavioural responses
Jones, A. and Forster, B. 2012. Reflexive attention in touch: an investigation of event related potentials and behavioural responses. Biological Psychology. 89 (2), pp. 313-322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.11.004