Attention distributed across sensory modalities enhances perceptual performance

Abstract

This study investigated the interaction between top-down attentional control and multisensory processing in humans. Using semantically congruent and incongruent audiovisual stimulus streams, we found target detection to be consistently improved in the setting of distributed audiovisual attention versus focused visual attention. This performance benefit was manifested as faster reaction times for congruent audiovisual stimuli andas accuracy improvements for incongruent stimuli, resulting in a resolution of stimulus interference. Electrophysiological recordings revealed that these behavioral enhancements were associated with reduced neural processing of both auditory and visual componentsof the audiovisual stimuli under distributed versus focused visual attention. These neural changes were observedat early processing latencies, within 100-300 mspoststimulus onset, and localizedto auditory, visual, and polysensory tempo-ralcortices. These results highlightanovel neural mechanismfor top-downdriven performancebenefits via enhanced efficacyofsensory neural processing during distributed audiovisual attention relative to focused visual attention. © 2012 the authors.