Attention & Cognitive Control

In early visual cortex, gamma oscillations emerge when neurons with similar tuning properties fire in a temporally aligned pattern

Understanding biased competition provides a framework for interpreting these patterns and for developing interventions that strengthen attentional control

Neural resources are limited, and stimuli must compete for representation

Selective attention also interacts closely with working memory and cognitive control

In primary and extrastriate visual cortex, neurons tuned to different features share partially overlapping receptive fields

Inhibition is a core component of cognitive control, enabling the brain to suppress competing impulses, distracting stimuli, and outdated representations.

Neuroscientific research shows that sustained attention depends on coordinated activity across the prefrontal cortex, parietal regions, and subcortical structures regulating arousal

Divided attention refers to the ability to process multiple streams of information at once, yet decades of cognitive research suggest that the brain does not truly perform parallel high‑level tasks

Bottom‑up processing begins with the sensory stream itself

Although this transition feels instantaneous, it involves a measurable cognitive cost known as the switch cost