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Dr Daniel Smith, MSc, PhD

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(email at daniel.smith2@durham.ac.uk)

Our senses are constantly flooded with visual, tactile and auditory information, yet we are rarely, if ever, overwhelmed by these experiences. In fact, we only seem to become aware of sensory stimulation when they capture our attention. Much of my research is directed at understanding the mechanisms which determine which sensations enter our awareness, and whether we can use the relationship between attention and awareness to develop more effective therapies for patients who experience deficits of sensation or awareness following brain damage

Research Groups

Department of Psychology

• Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience

Research Interests

• Eye-movements and attention
• Mechanisms of attention and awareness
• Neurorehabilitation of visual field defects
• Sports Psychology

Selected Publications

Journal papers: academic

• Lane, A.R., Ball, K., Smith, D.T. , Schenk, T & Ellison, A. (2013). Near and far space: understanding the neural mechanisms of spatial attention. Human Brain Mapping 34(2): 356-366.
• Smith, DT, Ball, K & Ellison, A (2012). Inhibition of Return impairs phosphene detection. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 24(11): 2262-2267.
• Smith, D.T., Schenk, T. & Rorden, C. (2012). Saccade preparation is required for exogenous attention but not endogenous attention or IOR. Journal of Experimental Psychology-Human Perception and Performance 38(6): 1438-1447.
• Lane, A.R., Smith, D.T., Schenk, T. & Ellison, A. (2012). The involvement of posterior parietal cortex and frontal eye fields in spatially primed visual search. Brain Stimulation 5(1): 11-17.
• Smith, D.T. & Schenk, T. (2012). The Premotor theory of attention: Time to move on?. Neuropsychologia 50(6): 1104-1114.
• Aimola, L, Rogers, G., Kerkoff, G., Smith, D.T. & Schenk, T. (2012). Visuomotor adaptation is impaired in patients with unilateral neglect. Neuropsychologia 50(6): 1158-1163.
• Lane, A.R., Smith, D.T., Schenk, T. & Ellison, A. (2011). The involvement of posterior parietal cortex in feature and conjunction visuomotor search. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 23(8): 1964-1972.
• Ball, K., Smith, D., Ellison, A. & Schenk, T. (2010). A body-centred frame of reference drives spatial priming in visual search. Experimental Brain Research 204(4): 585-594.
• Smith, D.T., Ball, K., Ellison, A. & Schenk, T. (2010). Deficits of reflexive attention induced by abduction of the eye. Neuropsychologia 48(5): 1269-1276.
• Smith, D.T & Schenk, T (2010). Inhibition of return exaggerates change blindness. Quarterly Journal Of Experimental Psychology 63(11): 2231-2238.
• Lane, A.R. , Smith, D.T. , Ellison, A. & Schenk, T. (2010). Visual exploration training is no better than attention training for treating hemianopia. Brain 133(6): 1717-1728.
• Smith, D.T., Jackson, S.R. & Rorden, C. (2009). An intact eye-movement system is not required to generate Inhibition of Return. Journal of Neuropsychology 3(2): 267-271.
• Ball, K., Smith, D.T. , Ellison, A. & Schenk, T. (2009). Both egocentric and allocentric cues support spatial priming in visual search. Neuropsychologia 47(6): 1585-1591.
• Rogers, G, Smith, D.T. & Schenk, T (2009). Immediate and delayed actions share a common visuomotor transformation mechanism: A prism adaptation study. Neuropsychologia 47(6): 1546-1552.
• Smith, D.T., Jackson, S.R. & Rorden, C. (2009). Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over frontal eye fields disrupts visually cued auditory attention. Brain Stimulation 2(2): 81-87.
• Carey, D.P, Smith, D.T., Martin, D., Smith, G., Skriver, J., Rutland, A. & Shepherd, J.W. (2009). The bi-pedal ape: Plasticity and asymmetry in footedness. Cortex 45(5): 650-661.
• Smith, D.T., Lane, A.R. & Schenk, T. (2008). Arm position does not attenuate visual loss in patients with homonymous field deficits. Neuropsychologia 46(9): 2320-2325.
• Lane, A.R., Smith, D.T. & Schenk, T. (2008). Clinical treatment options for patients with homonymous visual field defects. Clinical Opthalmology 2(1): 93-102.
• Smith D.T. & Schenk, T. (2008). Reflexive attention attenuates change blindness (but only briefly). Perception & Psychophysics 70(3): 489-495.
• Smith, D.T. & Schenk, T. (2007). Enhanced probe discrimination at the location of a colour singleton. Experimental Brain Research 181(2): 367-375.
• Jackson, S. R., Newport, R., Osborne, F., Wakely, R., Smith, D. & Walsh, V. (2005). Saccade-contingent spatial and temporal errors are absent for saccadic head movements. Cortex 41(2): 205-212.
• Smith, D. T., Jackson, S. R. & Rorden, C. (2005). Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left human frontal eye fields eliminates the cost of invalid endogenous cues. Neuropsychologia 43(9): 1288-1296.
• Smith, D. T., Rorden, C. & Jackson, S. R. (2004). Exogenous orienting of attention depends upon the ability to execute eye movements. Current Biology 14(9): 792-795.
• Carey, D.P., Smith, G, Smith, D.T., Shepherd, JW, Skriver, J, Ord, L & Rutland, A (2001). Footedness in world soccer: an analysis of France '98. Journal Of Sports Sciences 19(11): 855-864.

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Media Contacts

Available for media contact about:

• Vision / eye movement: Rehabilitation of patients who suffer visual impairments following brain injuries such as Stroke
• Vision / eye movement: Brain systems used to control attention and awareness