Gregory L J, Yágüez L, Williams S C R, Altmann C, Coen S J, Ng V, Brammer M J, Thompson D G, Aziz Q
Section of GI Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.
Gut. 2003 Dec;52(12):1671-7. doi: 10.1136/gut.52.12.1671.
While cortical processing of visceral sensation has been described, the role that cognitive factors play in modulating this processing remains unclear.
To investigate how selective and divided attention modulate the cerebral processing of oesophageal sensation.
In seven healthy volunteers (six males, mean age 33 years; ranging from 24 to 41 years old) from the general community, phasic visual and oesophageal (non-painful balloon distension) stimuli were presented simultaneously. During the selective attention task, subjects were instructed to press a button either to a change in frequency of oesophageal or visual stimuli. During a divided attention task, subjects received simultaneous visual and oesophageal stimuli and were instructed to press a button in response to a change in frequency of both stimuli.
Selectively focussing attention on oesophageal stimuli activated the visceral sensory and cognitive neural networks (primary and secondary sensory cortices and anterior cingulate cortex respectively) while selective attention to visual stimuli primarily activated the visual cortex. When attention was divided between the two sensory modalities, more brain regions in the sensory and cognitive domains were utilised to process oesophageal stimuli in comparison to those employed to process visual stimuli (p=0.003).
Selective and divided attention to visceral stimuli recruits more neural resources in both the sensory and cognitive domains than attention to visual stimuli. We provide neurobiological evidence that demonstrates the biological importance placed on visceral sensations and demonstrate the influence of cognitive factors such as attention on the cerebral processing of visceral sensation.
虽然已经描述了内脏感觉的皮质处理过程，但认知因素在调节这种处理过程中所起的作用仍不清楚。
研究选择性注意和分散性注意如何调节食管感觉的大脑处理过程。
在7名来自普通社区的健康志愿者（6名男性，平均年龄33岁；年龄范围为24至41岁）中，同时呈现阶段性视觉和食管（非疼痛性球囊扩张）刺激。在选择性注意任务中，受试者被指示根据食管或视觉刺激频率的变化按下按钮。在分散性注意任务中，受试者同时接受视觉和食管刺激，并被指示根据两种刺激频率的变化按下按钮。
选择性地将注意力集中在食管刺激上会激活内脏感觉和认知神经网络（分别为初级和次级感觉皮层以及前扣带回皮层），而对视觉刺激的选择性注意主要激活视觉皮层。当注意力在两种感觉模式之间分散时，与处理视觉刺激相比，在感觉和认知领域有更多的脑区被用于处理食管刺激（p = 0.003）。
与对视觉刺激的注意相比，对内脏刺激的选择性注意和分散性注意在感觉和认知领域都需要更多的神经资源。我们提供了神经生物学证据，证明了对内脏感觉的生物学重视，并证明了诸如注意等认知因素对内脏感觉大脑处理过程的影响。
