Alpha Oscillations in Resisting Distraction

The role of alpha oscillations (8-13Hz) in suppressing distractors has been extensively debated. Some studies suggest that alpha oscillations support distractor suppression by increasing in regions processing anticipated distractors. However, other studies did not reproduce this effect. We identify the methodological differences in experimental designs that may explain these discrepancies. Another debate centers on the mechanistic role of alpha oscillations. While we and others have proposed alpha oscillations implementing a gain reduction in early visual regions when e.g. target load or distractor interference are high, we suggest that parietal alpha oscillations support gating or stabilization of the attentional focus and alpha in ventral attention network implement resistance to distraction. We will outline future studies needed to identify the task contexts required to uncover the precise mechanistic role of alpha oscillations.