Research update July 2014
Update July 2014
Colleagues and Viewers:
I had not updated my website in several years, but have now learned how to do it. During the last few years I have been engaged in several projects outlined below. In these posts I will try to keep updates on what we find and how we are proceeding.
Origin of Attention Networks
We have just finished a longitudinal study begun at 7 months in 2004 and finishing in 2013 at age 8. Among our discoveries in the transition from dominant control by the orienting network during infancy and early childhood to the executive network at age 3-4.
Our most recent paper shows that one can predict later network performance as shown on the Attention Network Test from temperament reported by parents at 7 months. Each network has a separate set of predictors.
Posner, M.I. , Rothbart, M.K. Sheese, B.E. & Voelker, P. (2014) Developing Attention: Behavioral and Brain Mechanisms. Adv. In Neuroscience Advances in Neuroscience Volume 2014, Article ID 405094
http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/405094 NIHMSID 596939
Mental Training
We have been training undergraduates with a version of mindfulness meditation called Integrated Body Mind Training (IBMT). When compared to relaxation training as a control condition as little as five days of IBM improves attention and mood and reduces stress. After two to four weeks of training diffusion tensor imaging shows changes in white matter, first in axonal density and later in myelination.
Tang, Y-Y.,Lu, Q., Fan, M., Yang, Y., & Posner,M.I. (2012) Mechanisms of White Matter Changes Induced by Meditation Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 109 (26)
10570-10574 doi10/.1073pnas.1207817109
Educational Neuroscience
There has been a lot of interest in whether cognitive neuroscience can improve educational outcomes. We have written two recent reviews on this topic that appeared in the ournal Trends in Neuroscience and Education. They outline how attention training my improve self regulation and suggest pathways that relate changes in the executive attention network (anterior cingulate gyrus) to areas of the brain related to learning (hippocampus).
Posner MI, Rothbart, MK.K. & Tang Y. (2013) Developing self-regulation in earlychildhood. Trends in Neuroscience and Education
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2013.09.001i
Posner M.I. & Rothbart, M.K.Attention to learning of school subjects.(2014) Trends in Neuroscience and Education
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2014.02.003i
Clinical Applications
We have applied training methods to the study of tobacco addiction. The results showed a reduction of 60% in consumption even among those who had no intention to quit.
This paper may cause a needed re-examination of the role of intention in addiction. We are undertaking such an examination
Tang, Y-Y, Tang, R., & Posner, M.I. (2013) Brief meditation training induces smoking reduction. Proceedings of the US National Academy 110/34 13971-13975
Nostalgia
Various editors have asked me to summarize or update earlier paper I had written. Recent efforts along these lines are mentioned below.
Petersen, S.E. & Posner, M.I. (2012) The attention system of the human brain:20 years after. Annual Review of Neuroscience 35, 71-89
In 1990 Petersen and I had written a widely cited review in the Annuall Review of Neuroscience we recently updated this on the request of the editors after 20 years.
Posner, M.I.( 2012) Imaging attention networks. Neuroimage 61/2 450-456 doi 10.1016/neuroimage,2011.12.040
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Journal Neuroimage I was asked together with Jon Driver to write a review of neuroimaging studies of attention. Unfortunately Jon Driver past away before he was able to write for this review and the article is dedicated to his memory and contribution
Posner, M.I. (in press) Orienting of Attenton Quarterly Journal ofExperimental Psychology
In 1979 I delivered the 7th Sir Frederick Bartlett lecture under the title Orienting of Attention it was published in 1980 and has been cited more than 5,000 times the editors asked for an update that is to be published in 2014
Posner, M.I. (2013) The Expert Brain Ch 6 in J.J. Stazewski (ed) Expertise and skill
Acquisition: The impact of William G. Chase London:Psychology Press
pp 243-59
A special event honoring the career of William G.Chase was held. The resulting book covered developments in the field of expertise related to the work of Chase. As a former teacher and friend of Chase I was invited to present the paper mentioned above which was published in 2013. I feel this review provides a good background in how cognitive neuroscience has and can influence this field.