Visual stimuli may be selectively attended on the basis of their location in the environment or on the basis of having particular features such as color or shape or combinations of features. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) are recorded in response to stimuli having specific features that are being attended, and the associated ERP fields can be mapped over the scalp. By using source localization algorithms in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging, the locations of the neural generators of attention-related ERPs can be calculated with respect to brain anatomy.

We investigate the effects of visual selective attention with respect to features and objects.

Representative Publications

Di Russo, F., A. Martinez and S.A. Hillyard. Source analysis of event-related cortical activity during visuo-spatial attention. Cerebral Cortex 13: 486-499, 2003.

Martinez, A., F. DiRusso, L. Anllo-Vento, M.I. Sereno, R.B. Buxton and S.A. Hillyard. Putting spatial attention on the map: Timing and localization of stimulus selection processes in striate and extrastriate visual areas. Vision Research 41: 1437-1457, 2001.