Research article summary (published 29 Nov 2004):

Practice-induced changes of brain function during visual attention: a parametric fMRI study at 4 Tesla.

Full Abstract

A parametric functional MRI (fMRI) study with three levels of task difficulty was performed to determine the effect of practice and attentional load on brain activation during visual attention tasks. Brief practice during repeat fMRI scanning (20 min) did not change performance accuracy or reaction times (RT), but decreased activation bilaterally in the inferior, middle, and superior frontal gyri, superior temporal gyrus, thalamus, and cerebellum. Increased attentional load decreased performance accuracy but not RT, and increased activation bilaterally in the inferior, posterior, and superior parietal cortices, thalamus, cerebellum, and frontal gyri. These changes suggest that practice decreases dependency on thalamus, cerebellum, and the frontal cortices for controlled task processing possibly due to increased efficiency of the attentional network. Since short-term practice-effects in the prefrontal cortex may be similar to attentional load-effects, studies of attentional load need to take practice effects into account.

Author information

Author/s: Tomasi, D (D); Ernst, T (T); Caparelli, E C (EC); Chang, L (L);

Affiliation: Medical Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973, USA. tomasi(-atsign-)bnl.gov

Grants: K02 DA16991 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; K24 DA16170 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; R01 MH61427 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R03 DA 017070-01 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; R03 DA017070-01 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: NeuroImage (Neuroimage), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2004-Dec; vol 23 (issue 4) : pp 1414-21

Dates: Created 2004/12/13; Completed 2005/02/23; Revised 2008/11/20;

PMID: 15589105, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult Arousal - physiology Attention - physiology Brain - physiology Brain Mapping Discrimination Learning - physiology Female Humans Image Processing, Computer-Assisted Imaging, Three-Dimensional

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Male Mathematical Computing Middle Aged Motion Perception - physiology Nerve Net - physiology Pattern Recognition, Visual - physiology Practice (Psychology) Psychomotor Performance - physiology Reaction Time - physiology

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