Friday Lunch Seminar (English)

February 25, 2022
12:15 〜 13:00
(On-line)
Apply for participation from here by noon, February 24.
You will be notified of participation details by e-mail on February 24.

Talk Title:
Brain mechanism in sustained attention
Ayumu Yamashita
JSPS overseas research fellowships
Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry

Host: Kaoru Amano

Abstract:
Attention is not constant but fluctuates from moment to moment between optimal and suboptimal focus. In the search for brain markers of optimal attentional focus, the mainstream approach has been to first define attentional states based on behavioral performance, and to subsequently investigate “neural correlates ”associated with these performance variations. However, this approach constrains the range of contexts in which attentional states can be operationalized by relying on overt behavior, and assumes a one-to-one correspondence between behavior and brain state. In this talk, I will introduce the study that sought to identify behaviorally-relevant brain states based solely on brain activity, agnostic to behavioral performance. I will further demonstrate how these brain states are impacted by motivation and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).