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The effect and efficiency of attentional networks and the brain electrophysiology

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Abstract

The attention networks test (ANT) is frequently utilized to evaluate executive, alerting, and orienting attentional components. Additionally, it serves as an activation task in neuroimaging studies. This study aimed to examine the relationship between attention networks and brain electrophysiology. The study enrolled 40 right-handed male students (age = 20.8 ± 1.3 years) who underwent the revised attention network test, while their electroencephalogram signals were recorded. The study aimed to explore the effects of attention networks and their efficiencies on brain electrophysiology. The results indicated that the P3 amplitude was modulated by the conflict effect in the central (p-value = 0.014) and parietal (p-value = 0.002) regions. The orienting component significantly influenced P1 and N1 latencies in the parietal and parieto-occipital regions (p-values < 0.006), as well as P1 and N1 amplitude in the parieto-occipital region (p-values = 0.017 and 0.011). The alerting component significantly affected P1 latency and amplitude in the parietal and parieto-occipital regions, respectively (p-value = 0.02). Furthermore, N1 amplitude and the time interval between P1 and N1 were significantly correlated with the efficiency of alerting and orienting networks. In terms of connectivity, the coherence of theta and alpha bands significantly decreased in the incongruent condition compared to the congruent condition. Additionally, the effects of attention networks on event-related spectral perturbation were observed. The study revealed the influence of attention networks on various aspects of brain electrophysiology. Specifically, the alerting score correlated with the amplitude of the N1 component in the double-cue and no-cue conditions in the parieto-occipital region, while the orienting score in the same region correlated with the N1 amplitude in the valid cue condition and the difference in N1 amplitude between the valid cue and double-cue conditions. Overall, empirical evidence suggests that attention networks not only impact the amplitudes of electrophysiological activities but also influence their time course.

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Data availability

The data availability statement is presented in the text but incorrectly in the author contributions section.

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Acknowledgments

The authors express their gratitude to the Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran, for their support in conducting this research (951745). Additionally, the authors acknowledge the National Brain Mapping Laboratory (NBML), Tehran, Iran, for their provision of data acquisition services. The authors would also like to extend their thanks to all participants for their wholehearted cooperation.

Funding

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Physics, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Hossein Akbari-Lalimi, Shahrokh Naseri & Hoda Zare

  2. Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Mahdi Momennezhad

  3. Medical Physics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Hoda Zare

  4. Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

    Ali Talaei

  5. Neuroscience Research Center, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran

    Seyed Ali Shafiei

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  1. Hossein Akbari-Lalimi
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The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Correspondence to Seyed Ali Shafiei.

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Communicated by Bill J Yates.

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Akbari-Lalimi, H., Naseri, S., Momennezhad, M. et al. The effect and efficiency of attentional networks and the brain electrophysiology. Exp Brain Res 242, 79–97 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-023-06712-8

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