Alpha and theta mechanisms operating in internal-external attention competition

Attention is the ability to prioritize a set of information at expense others and can be internally- or externally-oriented. Alpha theta oscillations have been extensively implicated in attention. However, it unclear how these operate when sensory distractors are presented continuously during task-relevant internal processes, close-to-real-life conditions. Here, EEG signals from healthy participants were obtained rest three attentional conditions, characterized by execution mental math task (internal attention), presentation pictures on monitor (external under distracting action picture (internal-external competition). power investigated scalp level some cortical regions interest (ROIs); moreover, functional directed connectivity was estimated via spectral Granger Causality. Results show that frontal midline distinctive more prominent competition compared attention alone, possibly reflecting higher executive control; anterior cingulate cortex appeared as mainly involved causally connected distant (temporal/occipital) regions. visual ROIs strongly decreased external while assumed values close competition, reduced engagement against distractors; results suggested bidirectional alpha influences between could contribute reduce interference This study help understand our brain copes with internal-external condition intrinsic human sensory-cognitive interplay, elucidate relationships functions/dysfunctions daily tasks.