Journal Article

FZJ-2014-05364

http://join2-wiki.gsi.de/foswiki/pub/Main/Artwork/join2_logo100x88.png Cholinergic stimulation enhances Bayesian belief updating in the deployment of spatial attention.

Vossel, S. (Corresponding Author)FZJ* ; Bauer, M. ; Mathys, C. ; Adams, R. A. ; Dolan, R. J. ; Stephan, K. E. ; Friston:, K. J.

2014
Soc. Washington, DC

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Please use a persistent id in citations: http://hdl.handle.net/2128/16098  doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0091-14.2014

Abstract: The exact mechanisms whereby the cholinergic neurotransmitter system contributes to attentional processing remain poorly understood. Here, we applied computational modeling to psychophysical data (obtained from a spatial attention task) under a psychopharmacological challenge with the cholinesterase inhibitor galantamine (Reminyl). This allowed us to characterize the cholinergic modulation of selective attention formally, in terms of hierarchical Bayesian inference. In a placebo-controlled, within-subject, crossover design, 16 healthy human subjects performed a modified version of Posner's location-cueing task in which the proportion of validly and invalidly cued targets (percentage of cue validity, % CV) changed over time. Saccadic response speeds were used to estimate the parameters of a hierarchical Bayesian model to test whether cholinergic stimulation affected the trial-wise updating of probabilistic beliefs that underlie the allocation of attention or whether galantamine changed the mapping from those beliefs to subsequent eye movements. Behaviorally, galantamine led to a greater influence of probabilistic context (% CV) on response speed than placebo. Crucially, computational modeling suggested this effect was due to an increase in the rate of belief updating about cue validity (as opposed to the increased sensitivity of behavioral responses to those beliefs). We discuss these findings with respect to cholinergic effects on hierarchical cortical processing and in relation to the encoding of expected uncertainty or precision.

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Contributing Institute(s):

1. Kognitive Neurowissenschaften (INM-3)

Research Program(s):

1. 333 - Pathophysiological Mechanisms of Neurological and Psychiatric Diseases (POF2-333) (POF2-333)
2. 89572 - (Dys-)function and Plasticity (POF2-89572) (POF2-89572)

Appears in the scientific report 2014

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Database coverage:
; ; BIOSIS Previews ; Current Contents - Life Sciences ; IF >= 5 ; JCR ; NCBI Molecular Biology Database ; SCOPUS ; Science Citation Index ; Science Citation Index Expanded ; Thomson Reuters Master Journal List ; Web of Science Core Collection

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