Search

This study used magnetoencephalographic and electroencephalographic recordings to investigate the neural mechanisms that underlie the attentional resolution of ambiguous feature coding in visual search. We addressed this issue by comparing neural activity related to target discrimination under conditions of more versus less feature overlap between the target and distractor items. The results show that increasing feature overlap leads to a focal enhancement of neural activity in ventral occipito-temporal areas, consistent with the larger need to attenuate distractor interference. Furthermore, the results suggest that distractor attenuation proceeds as a stepwise operation, with different spatial locations containing interfering features being suppressed successively. These findings support theories of visual search that emphasize location-based attentional selection as a key mechanism in resolving ambiguous feature coding in vision. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] We recorded gustatory event-related potentials, and magnetic fields. [•] We used an apparatus with accurate temporal/spatial control for taste stimulation. [•] For the early time range sources were found in the left/right anterior/mid insula. [•] In the later time range sources were located more in the posterior part. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]