The multifaceted interplay between attention and multisensory integration

Trends Cogn Sci. 2010 Sep;14(9):400-10. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.06.008. Epub 2010 Aug 2.

Abstract

Multisensory integration has often been characterized as an automatic process. Recent findings indicate that multisensory integration can occur across various stages of stimulus processing that are linked to, and can be modulated by, attention. Stimulus-driven, bottom-up mechanisms induced by crossmodal interactions can automatically capture attention towards multisensory events, particularly when competition to focus elsewhere is relatively low. Conversely, top-down attention can facilitate the integration of multisensory inputs and lead to a spread of attention across sensory modalities. These findings point to a more intimate and multifaceted interplay between attention and multisensory integration than was previously thought. We review developments in the current understanding of the interactions between attention and multisensory processing, and propose a framework that unifies previous, apparently discordant, findings.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Attention / physiology*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Models, Neurological
  • Perception / physiology*