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Shifting attention between the space of the body and external space: Electrophysiological correlates of visual‐nociceptive crossmodal spatial attention
Author(s) -
Favril Louis,
Mouraux André,
Sambo Chiara F.,
Legrain Valéry
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/psyp.12157
Subject(s) - crossmodal , psychology , neuroscience , electrophysiology , nociception , visual space , visual perception , visual cortex , n2pc , communication , cognitive psychology , perception , medicine , receptor
The study tested whether nociceptive stimuli applied to a body limb can orient spatial attention in external space toward visual stimuli delivered close to that limb. Nociceptive stimuli were applied to either the left or the right hand. Task‐relevant visual stimuli were delivered at the location adjacent to the stimulated hand (70% valid trials) or adjacent to the other hand (30% invalid trials). Visual stimuli were discriminated with shorter reaction times and elicited ERPs of greater magnitude in the valid as compared to the invalid trials. This enhancement affected the N1 component, suggesting that the location of the nociceptive cue modifies visual processing through a modulation of neural activity in the visual cortex. We hypothesize the existence of a common frame of reference able to coordinate the mapping of the space of the body and the mapping of the external space.