PubMed Health⌕ Search

PubMed · 14697394

Two brains, one clock.

Abstract

A recent study has shown that information about the duration of brief time intervals acquired by one side of the brain is readily available to the other cerebral hemisphere in a patient in which the corpus callosum and the other forebrain commissures have been sectioned. This strongly suggests that the internal clock that measures time duration is subcortical, and that its output can be easily projected to both hemispheres via subcortical commissures.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Carlo A Marzi. 2004. Two brains, one clock.. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2003.10.015

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

fMRI pattern classification using neuroanatomically constrained boosting.

Pattern classification in functional MRI (fMRI) is a novel methodology to automatically identify differences in distributed neural substrates resulting from cognitive tasks. Reliable pattern classification is challenging due to the high dimensionality of fMRI data, the small number of available data sets, interindividual differences, and dependence on the acquisition methodology. Thus, most previous fMRI classification methods were applied in individual subjects. In this study, we developed a novel approach to improve multiclass classification across groups of subjects, field strengths, and fMRI methods. Spatially normalized activation maps were segmented into functional areas using a neuroanatomical atlas and each map was classified separately using local classifiers. A single multiclass output was applied using a weighted aggregation of the classifier's outputs. An Adaboost technique was applied, modified to find the optimal aggregation of a set of spatially distributed classifiers. This Adaboost combined the region-specific classifiers to achieve improved classification accuracy with respect to conventional techniques. Multiclass classification accuracy was assessed in an fMRI group study with interleaved motor, visual, auditory, and cognitive task design. Data were acquired across 18 subjects at different field strengths (1.5 T, 4 T), with different pulse sequence parameters (voxel size and readout bandwidth). Misclassification rates of the boosted classifier were between 3.5% and 10%, whereas for the single classifier, these were between 15% and 23%, suggesting that the boosted classifier provides a better generalization ability together with better robustness. The high computational speed of boosting classification makes it attractive for real-time fMRI to facilitate online interpretation of dynamically changing activation patterns.

Attention↗

Simultaneous priming along multiple feature dimensions in a visual search task.

What we have recently seen generally has a large effect on how we consequently perceive our visual environment. Such priming effects play a surprisingly large role in visual search tasks, for example. It is unclear, however, whether different features of an object show independent but simultaneous priming. For example, if the color and orientation of a target item are the same as on a previous trial, is performance better than if only one of those features is repeated? In other words this paper presents an attempt at assessing the capacity of priming for different feature dimensions. Observers searched for a three featured object (a gabor patch that was either redscale or greenscale, oriented either to the left or right of vertical and of high or low spatial frequency) among distractors with different values along these feature dimensions. Which feature was the target defining feature; which was the response defining feature and which was the irrelevant feature, was varied between the different experiments. Task relevant features (target defining, or response defining) always resulted in priming effects, while when spatial frequency or orientation were task irrelevant neither resulted in priming, but color always did, even when task irrelevant. Further experiments showed that priming from spatial frequency and orientation could occur when they were task irrelevant but only when the other feature of the two was kept constant across all display items. The results show that simultaneous priming for different features can occur simultaneously, but also that task relevance has a strong modulatory effect on the priming.

Attention↗

Effects of methylphenidate on multiple components of attention in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

RATIONALE: Methylphenidate (MPH) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of attention deficits in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although a variety of studies have been performed, there is little available information as to which components of attentional functioning are disturbed in ADHD. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to monitor the effect of MPH on various measures of attention in children with ADHD. METHODS: In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study, the attentional functioning of 58 children diagnosed with ADHD without psychiatric comorbidity was examined. Assessment of attention was performed on their usual MPH treatment and following withdrawal of the drug. Furthermore, the attentional performance of 58 healthy children was assessed. The test battery consisted of reaction time tasks, including measures of alertness, vigilance, divided attention, flexibility, and aspects of selective attention such as focused attention, inhibition, and integration of sensory information. RESULTS: In comparison to the test performance of healthy children, children with ADHD displayed impairments of vigilance, divided attention, flexibility, and aspects of selective attention including focused attention, inhibition, and integration of sensory information. Statistical comparison of attentional functioning of children with ADHD on and off MPH treatment revealed that the medication resulted in an improved task accuracy regarding vigilance, divided attention, inhibition, focused attention, integration of sensory information, and flexibility. CONCLUSION: The present findings indicate that various aspects of attention are markedly impaired in children with ADHD. Treatment with MPH was accompanied by improvements in attention functions of small to moderate sizes. Although MPH-induced improvements were observed in a broad range of attention measures, children with ADHD who were on MPH treatment nevertheless displayed serious deficits in a number of components of attention.

Attention↗