Matt Oxner, Dirk van Moorselaar, Matthias M Müller, Jan Theeuwes
{"title":"A Flash in the Pan? Distractor Suppression Cannot Be Inferred from the Early Lateralized Positivity.","authors":"Matt Oxner, Dirk van Moorselaar, Matthias M Müller, Jan Theeuwes","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.57","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.57","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Humans excel at avoiding distraction in visual environments, successfully filtering out repeated salient distractors that could otherwise capture attention. A recent theoretical perspective posits a mechanism whereby such distractors can be proactively suppressed, reducing their impact on attentional deployment. Electrophysiological evidence for this view comes from the distractor positivity (PD), a neural component associated with distractor handling. The PD has been observed at early latencies (<200 msec) following distractor appearance, a timing interpreted as reflecting distractor suppression before attentional capture. However, the relationship between this \"early PD\" and distractor suppression remains fundamentally correlational. This raises critical questions about the extent to which this neural marker exclusively indexes mechanisms of suppression, as opposed to being driven by other factors confounded with distractor presence, such as stimulus salience. We tested the specificity of this early positivity to distractor handling across three experiments employing visual search tasks. Participants were presented with unique color singletons serving as distractors, targets, or task-irrelevant items. The early lateralized positivity was elicited by salient color distractors, but also appeared in response to all other salient singletons, including those that could not be proactively suppressed. Our findings indicate that the early positivity is not unique to suppressed distractors-instead, it likely reflects sensory imbalance between visual hemifields or salience tagging in response to lateralized stimuli. Consequently, we argue that the \"early PD\" does not provide definitive evidence for proactive distractor suppression, as its association with distractor presence appears to be incidental rather than causal.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144129585","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Temporal Evolution of Color Representations Measured with Magnetoencephalography Reveals a \"Coarse to Fine\" Dynamic.","authors":"Erin Goddard, Kathy T Mullen","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.56","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.56","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Color perception is based on the differential spectral responses of the L, M, and S-cones and subsequent subcortical and cortical computations and may include the influence of higher-order factors such as language. Although the early subcortical stages of color vision are well characterized, the organization of cortical representations of color remain elusive, despite numerous models based on discrimination thresholds, appearance, and categorization. An underexplored aspect of cortical color representations is their dynamic evolution. Here, we compare the evolution of three different color representations over time using magnetoencephalography. We measured neural responses to 14 hues at each of three achromatic offsets (increment, isoluminant, and decrement) while participants attended either to the exact color of the stimulus or its color category. We used a series of classification analyses, combined with multidimensional scaling and representational similarity analysis, to ask how cortical representations of color unfold over time from stimulus onset. We compared the performance of \"higher order\" models based on hue and color category with a model based simply on stimulus cone contrast and found that all models had significant correlations with the data. However, the unique variance accounted for by each model revealed a dynamic change in hue responses over time, which was consistent with a \"coarse to fine\" transition from a broad clustering into categorical groups to a finer within-category representation. Notably, these dynamics were replicated across data sets from both tasks, suggesting they reflect a robust reorganization of cortical hue responses over time.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-25"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144163836","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation over Right Temporoparietal Junction Reduces Prosocial Intertemporal Choice in Small but Not Large Monetary Amounts.","authors":"Wenhao Xu, Jiayi Sun, Faxin Wang, Xiwen Chen, Cong Fan, Wenbo Luo","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.55","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.55","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As social beings, people need to assist others in making intertemporal choices. The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) plays a crucial role in influencing prosocial behavior. Nevertheless, it remains unclear whether and how rTPJ modulates self-other intertemporal decision-making. In the current study, we mainly employed temporal social balance (i.e., \"Self immediate - Self delay\" and \"Other immediate - Other delay\" conditions) and temporal social imbalance (i.e., \"Self immediate - Other delay\" and \"Self delay - Other immediate\" conditions), with the identity of \"Other\" being a stranger. Prosocial behavior occurred when the option involving \"other\" was chosen. While stimulating rTPJ via continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS), we manipulated the magnitude effect to investigate prosocial behavior in intertemporal decision-making. We found that in a small but not large monetary amount, cTBS manipulations increased participants' preference for smaller-sooner rewards in \"Other immediate - Other delay\" and \"Self immediate - Other delay\" conditions but not in the two other conditions, demonstrating that cTBS over rTPJ can effectively influence the above other-related intertemporal choices by increasing the choice preference for smaller-sooner options. Our work may help people deeply understand the difference between self-other related intertemporal choices from a prosocial perspective.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Madita Röhlinger, Christine Albrecht, Marta Ghio, Christian Bellebaum
{"title":"Neural Processing of Immediate versus Delayed Feedback in Action-Feedback and Stimulus-Feedback Associations.","authors":"Madita Röhlinger, Christine Albrecht, Marta Ghio, Christian Bellebaum","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.49","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.49","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The feedback-related negativity (FRN) or reward positivity (RewP), reflecting striatal reward system activity, is reduced with delayed feedback, whereas the N170, associated with medial temporal lobe (MTL) activity, is increased. The type of the learned association could also affect which system is involved: We expected the striatal reward system to be adept at learning action-feedback associations and the MTL to be primarily involved in learning stimulus-feedback associations, which should be reflected in stronger prediction error (PE) representations in the FRN/RewP and N170, respectively. The relative contributions of the striatum and MTL to feedback learning and processing, however, also seem to be determined by the feedback's timing (immediate vs. delayed). We recorded EEG while 40 participants learned in an action-feedback condition or a stimulus-feedback condition with immediate and delayed feedback. Replicating previous studies, the FRN/RewP was most negative for unexpected negative feedback and most positive for unexpected positive feedback. Surprisingly, this PE × Feedback Valence interaction was more pronounced for the stimulus-feedback condition than the action-feedback condition. Interestingly, we found a PE × Feedback Valence interaction also in the N170, but with most negative amplitudes for unexpected positive and expected negative feedback. This interaction appeared across feedback timings for the stimulus-feedback condition, but only for immediate feedback for the action-feedback condition. The results suggest that striatal and MTL systems cooperate across feedback timings for stimulus-feedback associations, but not for action-feedback associations learned with delayed feedback.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-35"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Zoe Lusk, Abby Y Kwon, Sofia Pantis, Spencer Nam, Dian Lyu, Robert Fisher, Eric K van Staalduinen, Vivek Buch, Josef Parvizi
{"title":"Combining Clinical Evaluations and Neuroscience Research in the Human Intracranial Electroencephalography Practice: 15-Year Cohort Study.","authors":"Zoe Lusk, Abby Y Kwon, Sofia Pantis, Spencer Nam, Dian Lyu, Robert Fisher, Eric K van Staalduinen, Vivek Buch, Josef Parvizi","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.53","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.53","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) offers human neuroscientists a unique opportunity to collect brain data simultaneously from hundreds of discrete brain sites with high temporal resolution and anatomical precision at the single subject level. Although the number of iEEG studies keeps surging in the recent neuroscience literature, the practical details of this research platform often remain unclear to those not actively involved. This report offers insights from 15+ years of experience with iEEG practice to add clarity about the realities on the ground at a single medical center in the United States. We provide quantified details about the brain regions that are often covered for recordings, number of electrodes often utilized in each patient, and how neuroscience research is safely integrated with clinical monitoring and patient care. We document a clear shift from electrocorticography with subdural electrodes to stereoelectroencephalography with depth electrodes. We present our clinical results, emphasizing that iEEG offers a unique opportunity to expand our understanding of human brain function and achieve improved seizure control and long-term outcomes for millions of patients currently suffering from medication-resistant epilepsy. This report not only provides critical insights into the practical realities of iEEG research but also serves as a valuable resource for cognitive neuroscientists seeking to leverage this methodology for studying human brain function. By detailing the spatial and temporal characteristics of iEEG recordings, as well as the evolving trends in electrode implantation, this article helps bridge the gap between clinical practice and cognitive neuroscience applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112713","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dissociable Neural Mechanisms in the Default Mode Network Underlying Age-related Differences in Survival-related Memory Enhancement.","authors":"Yasuko Shiomi, Reina Izumika, Miki Cho, Rui Nouchi, Takashi Tsukiura","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.48","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.48","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Memories encoded during survival situations are remembered more accurately than memories encoded during simple emotional situations. This enhancing effect of memory is known as survival-related memory enhancement (SME). SME has been consistently observed in young adults (YAs) and explained in the context of adaptive memory. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying SME and how they are affected by aging. In the present fMRI study, we scanned healthy YAs and older adults (OAs) during encoding of objects when determining how the objects would be used in hypothetical survival situations. fMRI analyses focused on the default mode network subsystems (CORE, medial temporal lobe [MTL], and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex [dmPFC]). According to univariate analysis, regions in CORE and dmPFC showed significant activation during the imagination of survival situations in both YAs and OAs, whereas activation in regions of MTL was significant only in OAs. Multivariate pattern analysis demonstrated that in both YAs and OAs, activity patterns in CORE represented the information on self-other distinction and scene details in survival situations; the information on scene details was also represented in dmPFC. In addition, activity patterns in MTL represented the self-other distinction and survival scene details only in OAs. According to functional connectivity analysis, individual differences in SME of YAs were significantly associated with functional connectivity of the hippocampus with a region in dmPFC, whereas this functional connectivity was not identified in OAs. SME could be involved in the default mode network subsystems, and the roles of each subsystem in SME could be modulated by aging.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ruby M Potash, Sean D van Mil, Mar Estarellas, Andres Canales-Johnson, Matthew D Sacchet
{"title":"Integrated Phenomenology and Brain Connectivity Demonstrate Changes in Nonlinear Processing in Jhana Advanced Meditation.","authors":"Ruby M Potash, Sean D van Mil, Mar Estarellas, Andres Canales-Johnson, Matthew D Sacchet","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.50","DOIUrl":"10.1162/jocn.a.50","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We present a neurophenomenological case study investigating distinct neural connectivity regimes during an advanced concentrative absorption meditation called jhana (ACAM-J), characterized by highly stable attention and mental absorption. Using EEG recordings and phenomenological ratings (29 sessions) from a meditator with +20,000 hr of practice, we evaluated connectivity metrics tracking distinct large-scale neural interactions: nonlinear (weighted symbolic mutual information and directed information), capturing nonoscillatory dynamics, and linear (weighted phase lag index) connectivity metrics, capturing oscillatory synchrony. Results demonstrate ACAM-J are better distinguished by nonoscillatory compared with oscillatory dynamics across multiple frequency ranges. Furthermore, combining attention-related phenomenological ratings with weighted symbolic mutual information improves Bayesian decoding of ACAM-J compared with neural metrics alone. Crucially, deeper ACAM-J indicate an equalization of feedback and feedforward processes, suggesting a balance of internally and externally driven information processing. The results from this intensively sampled case study are a promising initial step in revealing the distinct neural dynamics during ACAM-J, offering insights into refined conscious states and highlighting the value of nonlinear neurophenomenological approaches to studying attentional states.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144121488","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bernhard Pastötter, Christian Beste, Alexander Münchau, Christian Frings
{"title":"Perception-Action Integration Is Linked to Posterior Alpha/Beta Desynchronization.","authors":"Bernhard Pastötter, Christian Beste, Alexander Münchau, Christian Frings","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.52","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.52","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Stimulus-response (S-R) bindings, which integrate sensory stimuli and motor responses into event files, are transient yet essential for adaptive behavior. This study investigated the EEG oscillatory dynamics underlying S-R binding processes, focusing on the roles of event-related desynchronization (ERD) and event-related synchronization (ERS) in the alpha/beta and theta frequency ranges during the integration and maintenance phases of S-R bindings. Using the S1R1-S2R2 task with response-stimulus intervals of 1000 msec and 3000 msec between the prime response and the onset of the probe display, we examined behavioral partial repetition costs and their neural correlates. Behavioral results confirmed the transient nature of S-R bindings, with greater partial repetition costs observed in the shorter response-stimulus interval condition. EEG time-frequency analyses revealed a significant negative correlation between alpha/beta power changes (ERD) during the initial integration time window around the prime response and behavioral S-R binding. Beamformer analysis localized this correlation effect to secondary visual cortex. In addition, a significant positive correlation was observed between alpha power increase (ERS) during the maintenance time window before the probe display onset and behavioral S-R binding. No significant correlation between theta power and behavioral S-R binding was observed. Together, these findings highlight the distinct contributions of alpha/beta ERD and alpha ERS to the temporal dynamics of S-R bindings and advance our understanding of the neural oscillatory mechanisms underpinning perception-action integration and event-file maintenance.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Isaac R Christian, Samuel A Nastase, Mindy Yu, Kirsten Ziman, Michael S A Graziano
{"title":"Monitoring Attention in Self and Others.","authors":"Isaac R Christian, Samuel A Nastase, Mindy Yu, Kirsten Ziman, Michael S A Graziano","doi":"10.1162/jocn.a.51","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.a.51","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ability of the brain to monitor its own attention is important for controlling attention. The ability to reconstruct and monitor the attention of others is important for behavioral prediction and therefore interaction with others. Do the same cortical networks participate in constructing a metacognitive representation of attention, whether one's own or someone else's attention? We studied the brain activity of human participants in an fMRI scanner. The participants performed two attention-monitoring tasks. One involved focusing attention on their own breathing and pressing a button when they realized their attention had wandered. In the other, participants watched a video of an actor performing the same focused-attention task, and participants pressed the button if the actor's attention appeared to have wandered. In both cases, we analyzed brain activity just before the button presses, when participants were engaged in metacognition with respect to attention. In the Self condition, activity was obtained in a distinctive set of areas including the TPJ, precuneus, dorsomedial pFC, anterior cingulate, and anterior insula. The activity partly overlapped the default mode network, social cognition network, and salience network. In the Other condition, activity was found in a similar set of areas including the TPJ, precuneus, dorsomedial pFC, anterior cingulate, and anterior insula. These results suggest that there may be a common set of cortical areas that provide an overarching mechanism for metacognition concerning attention, although Self and Other processing are also clearly not identical.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144112717","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Neural Correlates of Mind-wandering during Encoding Tasks: A Meta-analysis of 64 Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies.","authors":"Hongkeun Kim","doi":"10.1162/jocn_a_02343","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn_a_02343","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Our minds frequently drift from the task at hand to other mental content, a process commonly referred to as mind-wandering. Task focus typically leads to high-quality encoding of task events, whereas mind-wandering tends to result in low-quality encoding. This study conducted a meta-analysis of fMRI studies comparing high-quality and low-quality encoding to explore the neural correlates of mind-wandering. Key findings show that activation during mind-wandering is closely associated with four specific subnetworks: Default Mode Network-A, Frontoparietal Network-B and -C, and Ventral Attention Network-B. In contrast, deactivation primarily occurs within Dorsal Attention Network-A, Frontoparietal Network-A, and Default Mode Network-B and -C. These findings offer empirical support for several prominent theoretical accounts of mind-wandering, including those emphasizing internal cognition, perceptual decoupling, executive control (both failure and engagement), and reduced filtering. These results highlight the importance of a fine-grained, network-based approach to understanding the complex neural dynamics of mind-wandering.</p>","PeriodicalId":51081,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience","volume":" ","pages":"1-24"},"PeriodicalIF":3.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144025679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}