Neural dynamics of shifting attention between perception and working-memory contents

Abstract

AbstractIn everyday tasks, our focus of attention shifts seamlessly between contents in the sensory environment and internal memory representations. Yet, research has mainly considered external and internal attention in isolation. We used magnetoencephalography to compare the neural dynamics of shifting attention to visual contents within vs. between the external and internal domains. Participants performed a combined perception and working-memory task in which two sequential cues guided attention to upcoming (external) or memorised (internal) sensory information. Critically, the second cue could redirect attention to visual content within the same or alternative domain as the first cue. Multivariate decoding unveiled distinct patterns of human brain activity when shifting attention within vs. between domains. Crossing domains did not alter the timing of spatial orienting, as indexed by posterior alpha lateralisation. These findings provide important initial insights into the neural dynamics that govern attentional shifts between perception and working memory.