Parieto-occipital similar to 10 Hz activity reflects anticipatory state ofvisual attention mechanisms

HIGH-DENSITY EEG recordings revealed sensory specific modulation of anticip atory parieto-occipital similar to 10 Hz oscillatory activity when visually presented word cues instructed subjects in an intermodal selective attenti on paradigm. Cueing attention to the auditory features of imminent compound audio-visual stimuli resulted in significantly higher similar to 10 Hz amp litude in the period preceding onset-of this stimulus than when attention w as cued to the visual features. We propose that this parieto-occipital simi lar to 10 Hz activity reflects a disengaged visual attentional system in pr eparation for anticipated auditory input that is attentionally more relevan t. Conversely, lower similar to 10 Hz activity during the attend-visual con dition may reflect active engagement of parieto-occipital areas in the anti cipatory period. These results support models implicating parieto-occipital areas in the directing and maintenance of visual attention. NeuroReport 9: 3929-3933 (C) 1998 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.