Enhanced insular/prefrontal connectivity when resisting from emotional distraction during visual search.

ABSTRACT: Previous literature demonstrated that the processing of emotional stimuli can interfere with goal-directed behavior. This has been shown primarily in the context of working memory tasks, but "emotional distraction" may affect also other processes, such as the orienting of visuo-spatial attention. During fMRI, we presented human subjects with emotional stimuli embedded within complex everyday life visual scenes. Emotional stimuli could be either the current target to be searched for or task-irrelevant distractors. Behavioral and eye-movement data revealed faster detection of emotional than neutral targets. Emotional distractors were found to be fixated later and for a shorter duration than emotional targets, suggesting efficient top-down control in avoiding emotional distraction. The fMRI d

SUBMITTER: Pedale T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6591190 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature