The Role of Catecholamines in Selective Attention and Perceptual Decision-Making

Dopamine and noradrenaline are believed to be key neurotransmitters involved in selective attention and perceptual decision-making processes, but the exact mechanism through which this occurs remains unclear. This thesis sought to use established electroencephalographic (EEG) markers that measure the subcomponents of selective attention (e.g., distractor suppression vs target enhancement) and downstream perceptual decision processes to clarify the role of dopamine and noradrenaline. This research highlighted how the effects of dopamine and noradrenaline on selective attention and perceptual decisions appears subtle and complex and offers important considerations and future directions for research to help enhance our understanding of these processes.