Non-spatial attentional effects on P1

OBJECTIVE It has been suggested that P1, the earliest endogenous visual potential, is influenced primarily by spatial location. However, we have found that attention to non-spatial visual features can affect both the latency and amplitude of this component. METHODS A series of studies are reviewed, starting with 4 using simple geometric forms, and either serial presentation of single stimuli or presentation of stimulus arrays followed by two studies using natural complex images. RESULTS With simple stimuli, latency and amplitude effects are seen on the P1, but differ among the paradigms, depending on the demands of the task. The data further showed a facilitation effect and that binding occurs in parallel with single feature processing. For complex stimuli we found P1 shorter to faces than inverted faces, eyes or non-face stimuli, and larger to animal than non-animal pictures. The above effects were present in children as well as in adults. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that very early stages of processing can be modified by top-down attentional influences across a range of ages and experimental paradigms, concordant with visual processing models showing very rapid and dispersed activation with feedback at early cortical levels.

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