TITLE:
Enhancement of Visual Attention by Color Revealed Using Electroencephalography
AUTHORS:
Moemi Matsuo, Takashi Higuchi, Takuya Ishibashi, Ayano Egashira, Toranosuke Abe, Hiroya Miyabara
KEYWORDS:
Attention, Higher Brain Function, Electroencephalography, Neuroimaging, Rehabilitation
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
4,
2024
ABSTRACT: Attention constitutes a fundamental psychological feature guiding our
mental effort toward specific objects, concurrent with processes such as
memory, reasoning, and imagination. Visual attention, crucial for selecting surrounding information, often
decreases in older adults and patients with cerebrovascular disorders.
Effective methods to enhance attention are scarce. Here, we investigated
whether color information influences visual attention and brain activity during
task performance, utilizing EEG. We examined 13 healthy young adults (seven
women and six men; mean age: 21.2 ± 0.58 years) using 19-electrode
electroencephalograms to assess the impact of color information on visual
attention. The Clinical Assessment for Attention cancellation test was
conducted under the black, red, and blue color conditions. Wilcoxon’s
signed-rank test was used to assess differences in task performance (task time
and error) between conditions. Spearman’s rank correlation was utilized to
examine the correlation in power levels between task performance and color
conditions. Significant variations in total task errors were observed among
color conditions. The black condition exhibited the highest error frequency
(0.7 ± 0.9 times), followed by the red condition (0.5 ± 0.8 times), with the
lowest error frequency occurring in the blue (0.2 ± 0.4 times) condition (black
vs. red: P = 0.03; black vs. blue: P = 0.00; red vs. blue: P = 0.032). No time
difference was observed. The black condition showed negative delta and
high-gamma correlations in the central electrodes. The red condition revealed
positive alpha and low-gamma correlations in the frontal and occipital areas.
Although no correlations were observed in the blue condition, it enhanced
attentional performance. Positive alpha and low-gamma waves might be crucial
for spotting attentional errors in key areas. Our findings provide insights
into the effects of color information on visual attention and potential neural
correlates associated with attentional processes. In conclusion, our study
implies a connection between color information and attentional task
performance, with blue font associated with the most accurate performance.