Effects of bottom-up and top-down attentional processes on change blindness for COVID-related stimuli: influence of heart rate variability

Introduction: Top-down mechanisms that regulate attentional control are influenced by task demands and individuals’ goals, while bottom-up processes are influenced by salient stimuli. Analogous networks are involved in both processes (e.g., frontostriatal areas). However, they are affected differently by the emotional salience of stimuli, which determines the allocation of attention. This study aims to determine whether the recent pandemic experience continues to exert an influence on cognitive processes. To this end, the study will determine attentional biases toward pandemic-related stimuli compared to negative and neutral stimuli. Furthermore, the study will investigate whether pandemic-related stimuli influence top-down and bottom-up attentional processes and whether the latter affect autonomic control as indexed by Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Methods: Ninety-six undergraduate students completed a Flicker Task with stimuli categorized by emotional valence (neutral, negative non-COVID, negative COVID-related). This paradigm involves the presentation of two different pictures, which are identical except for a specific detail. The task required to detect the specific detail that has been changed. Given that the task employs images of natural scenes, participants tend to focus more on specific areas of the scene than others. As a result, changes in central interest (CI) areas are detected more rapidly than changes in marginal interest (MI) areas. Participants’ response times (RTs) at the task and their HRV data were used to assess attentional performance and the associated autonomic nervous system activity. Results: The results indicate slower responses to COVID-related stimuli than negative and neutral stimuli for both CI and MI changes, requiring the involvement of bottom-up (CI changes) and top-down (MI changes) processes. The HRV was associated with a slower detection of CI changes in COVID-related scenes. Discussion: These findings highlight the intricate interplay between emotional salience, attentional mechanisms, and physiological responses to threatening stimuli. Contextual factors, particularly those related to pandemic-related stress, influence attentional processing and its relationship with autonomic activity.