Although there are neural correlations between both types of attention in the frontal and posterior parietal cortex, and both can modulate processing in sensory processing regions prefrontal neurons reflected the target location first during top-down attention, whereas parietal neurons signaled it earlier during bottom-up attention. Studies in neuroimaging and neurophysiology have discovered that a large network, involving the posterior parietal cortex, temporoparietal junction (TPJ), superior temporal sulcus, and dorsal areas of the frontal cortex, supports the orienting of attention. It is generally agreed that attention can be focused on voluntarily using “top-down” signals derived from knowledge of the current task (finding your lost keys), and automatically using “bottom-up” signals captured by salient sensory events in the sensorium (a flashing fire alarm). Attention is also divided based on where it functions: "bottom-up" which refers to guidance that stems from external stimuli and "top-down" which refers to guidance that comes from intrinsic factors rooted in previously acquired knowledge. There are several aspects to attention including tonic alertness (defined as a process of intrinsic arousal that varies by minutes to hours), phasic alertness (defined as a process that causes a quick change in attention as a result of a brief stimulus), selective attention (defined as a process differentiating multiple stimuli), and sustained attention (defined as a process maintaining persistence of response and continuous effort over an extended period). This was in contrast with the prior belief about attention which was defined by William James who mentioned “Everyone knows what attention is.” Despite these definitions Bernhard Hommel and colleagues, after a discussion about the concept of attention, the difference between attention and intention, and the synthetic approach to attention found that “ no one knows, or can ever know, exactly what attention is”. Being able to focus on one thing and ignore other stimuli is another definition provided by some. Now an acceptable definition for Attention is a cognitive process matching data from the environment to the needs of the organism. As a domain of cognition, attention can be defined as a crucial process for keeping thoughts organized, but psychologists and philosophers have always tried to define attention.īy the 1950s several models for attention were proposed. These domains are highly interconnected, for instance, attention and memory cannot function with another lacking operation as memory capacity is limited comes attention to filter what gets to be encoded. Cognition encompasses several domains, including attention, language, learning, memory, perception, and higher reasoning. This review can be of help as a platform for designing new studies to researchers who are interested in working on attention and conditions causing deficits in this aspect of body function, by collecting and organizing information on its assessment.Ĭognition is the general term used to refer to the process of gaining knowledge. Also, the ways of assessing the attention in untestable patients who have difficulty in reading or using a computer, along with the lack of ability to comprehend verbal instructions and executive tasks, are discussed. The role of attention in human life and the importance of assessing it merits an inclusive review of the efforts made to assess attention and the resulting tests Here we highlight all the necessary data regarding neurophysiological tests which assess human attentive function and investigates the evolution of attention tests over time. These tests vary in terms of utilities, range of age, and domains.
Attention dysfunction is associated with multiple disorders therefore, there has been much effort in assessing attention and its domains, resulting in a battery of tests evaluating one or several attentional domains instances of which are the Stroop color-word test, Test of Everyday Attention, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. There are several aspects to attention including tonic alertness (a process of intrinsic arousal that varies by minutes to hours), phasic alertness (a process that causes a quick change in attention as a result of a brief stimulus), selective attention (a process differentiating multiple stimuli), and sustained attention (a process maintaining persistence of response and continuous effort over an extended period). Attention, as it is now defined as a process matching data from the environment to the needs of the organism, is one of the main aspects of human cognitive processes.
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