Attention and action are often studied in isolation. However, recent research has highlighted the extent to which attention and action overlap in both behavioral and brain mechanisms. Thus, to advance knowledge in these fields, it is valuable to study attention and action as a combined system. In the current proposal, we will examine the link between sustained attention and action output. First, we will determine whether drifts in sustained attention that occur when a participant loses focus are correlated with increased variability in motor output. In other words, if a person?s motor movements become less consistent, does this suggest that they are losing focus? Second, we will examine whether brain networks previously linked with sustained attention are also related to motor output variability. If this relationship is observed, it would provide further converging evidence for a strong link between sustained attention and motor output. Finally, we will examine whether and how the physical demands of an action response can influence sustained attention. That is, if more demanding actions are required, is it easier to maintain focused attention? Data obtained from the current proposal will provide new empirical and theoretical knowledge about attention and action systems. In addition, there are valuable practical applications that would arise from the proposed results. For example, the ability to diagnose when a person is losing focus by measurements of simple motor movements would be highly vaulable. Finally, a number of brain disorders are known to involve deficits in attention and/or action, including ADHD, schizophrenia, and stroke. Results from the proposed basic research may provide important knowledge for future approaches in both diagnosis and treatments of these and other diseases involving attention and/or action. Undergraduate students at Connecticut College will play in active role in all phases of the proposed research. These students will be involved in experimental design, data collection, data analysis, and the presentation of the results both at national conferences and in peer-reviewed academic journals. The proposal will provide a unique opportunity for students to conduct functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) research at Brown University during summer research sessions. fMRI research is at the forefront of modern human neuroscience research, and these students will gain direct experience both with the collection and analysis of fMRI data. These opportunities will significantly strengthen the research environment at Connecticut College and be particularly valuable for Connecticut College undergraduates interested in a future career in the sciences.
In the current project, we will investigate the relationship between sustained attention and motor variability - in other words, when people lose focus, how does this impact their movements and what are the brain mechanisms involved in these processes? Deficits in attention and action are implicated in a number of clinical disorders, including ADHD, schizophrenia, and stroke. Data from the current proposal will provide new knowledge about the relationship between sustained attention and action that will provide a useful framework for clinical research aimed at diagnosing and rehabilitating deficits in these populations.
