Attention modulates somatosensory cerebral blood flow response to vibrotactile stimulation as measured by positron emission tomography |
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| Authors: | E Meyer S S Ferguson R J Zatorre B Alivisatos S Marrett A C Evans A M Hakim |
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| Affiliation: | Positron Imaging Laboratories, McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. |
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| Abstract: | In human primary somatosensory cortex, the cerebral blood flow response to vibrotactile stimulation of the fingers (110 Hz), as measured by positron emission tomography and H2(15)O, was 13% higher (p less than 0.025) when the subjects attended to the stimulus, compared to when they were simultaneously engaged in a distraction task. This suggests that the physiological response of a primary cortical area can be modulated by the attentive behavior of the subject. |
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