Year: 2012
Type: dissertation
Abstract: An important dimension of cognitive control is the adaptive regulation of the balance between focused and flexible attention in response to task-utility.Recent studies have suggested that the locus-coeruleus norepinephrine system may play an important role on this function, and that pupil diameter may correlate closely with control state and associated changes in behavior.To investigate this, we measured pupillary changes in eighteen participants while performing a visual search task during a threatening-and a neutral context.We predicted that increases in baseline pupil diameter would be associated with decreases in task utility and longer reaction times, whereas reduced baseline pupil diameter would be associated with faster reaction times.Findings from this experiment were consistent with these predictions, suggesting that pupillometry may be useful as an index of both attentional state, and indirectly, locus coeruleus function.
Author: Cecilie Sol Skaftnes
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2404906495