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Xu J, Zhang W, Yu J, Li G, Cui J, Qi H, Zhang M, Li M, Hu Y, Wang H, Min H, Xu F, Xu X, Zhu C, Xiao Y, Zhang Y. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based neurofeedback training regulates time-on-task effects and enhances sustained cognitive performance. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhae259. [PMID: 38904080 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhae259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Time-on-task effect is a common consequence of long-term cognitive demand work, which reflects reduced behavioral performance and increases the risk of accidents. Neurofeedback is a neuromodulation method that can guide individuals to regulate their brain activity and manifest as changes in related symptoms and cognitive behaviors. This study aimed to examine the effects of functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based neurofeedback training on time-on-task effects and sustained cognitive performance. A randomized, single-blind, sham-controlled study was performed: 17 participants received feedback signals of their own dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity (neurofeedback group), and 16 participants received feedback signals of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity from the neurofeedback group (sham-neurofeedback group). All participants received 5 neurofeedback training sessions and completed 2 sustained cognitive tasks, including a 2-back task and a psychomotor vigilance task, to evaluate behavioral performance changes following neurofeedback training. Results showed that neurofeedback relative to the sham-neurofeedback group exhibited increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activation, increased accuracy in the 2-back task, and decreased mean response time in the psychomotor vigilance task after neurofeedback training. In addition, the neurofeedback group showed slower decline performance during the sustained 2-back task after neurofeedback training compared with sham-neurofeedback group. These findings demonstrate that neurofeedback training could regulate time-on-task effects on difficult task and enhance performance on sustained cognitive tasks by increasing dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Xu
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Wenchao Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Juan Yu
- Department of Gastroenterology, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Changle West Road, Xincheng District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710032, China
| | - Guanya Li
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Jianqi Cui
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Haowen Qi
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Minmin Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Mengshan Li
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Yang Hu
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
| | - Haoyi Wang
- College of Westa, Southwest University, Tiansheng Road, Beipei District, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Huaqiao Min
- Beijing Institute of Remote Sensing Information, Anwaiwaiguan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100192, China
| | - Fenggang Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Lvyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Xiaodan Xu
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Lvyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Chaozhe Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100091, China
| | - Yi Xiao
- National Key Laboratory of Human Factors Engineering, China Astronaut Research and Training Center, Lvyuan West Road, Haidian District, Beijing 100094, China
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center for Brain Imaging, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University & Engineering Research Center of Molecular and Neuro Imaging, Ministry of Education, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
- International Joint Research Center for Advanced Medical Imaging and Intelligent Diagnosis and Treatment & Xi'an Key Laboratory of Intelligent Sensing and Regulation of trans-Scale Life Information, School of Life Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xifeng Road, Chang'an District, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710126, China
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Chaieb L, Fell J. Insights into the time course of mind wandering during task execution. Brain Res 2024; 1822:148618. [PMID: 37820849 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2023.148618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Our minds tend to wander, sometimes with little control. Despite this phenomenon, that can affect our ability to perform everyday tasks gaining much interest, relatively little is understood about the actual time course of MW across an experimental task. With this in mind, we collated data from two previously reported studies investigating the effect of auditory beat stimulation on MW. Taking experience sampling probes intermittently dispersed throughout a sustained-attention-to-response task (SART), we re-evaluated responses to theta monaural beat stimulation, as well as to two control conditions (silence (headphones only) and a sine wave control tone). The experience sampling probes were binned into shorter intervals of approximately five minutes duration, chronologically as they appeared within the paradigm. Experience sampling probes assayed whether MW had occurred, with or without meta-awareness, and lastly in which temporal orientation (past/present/future). By applying this somewhat temporally better resolved approach, we were able to examine the time course of attentional fluctuations related to MW during the execution of the SART, as well as interactions arising from the auditory beat stimulation. As anticipated, MW increased during task execution, most prominently at the beginning of the experiment. We also observed that levels of meta-awareness declined over time. Moreover, the temporal evolution of meta-awareness and past-orientation appeared to depend on the stimulation condition. These data demonstrate that time-on-task is a crucial factor in measuring MW, during the performance of an attentional task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leila Chaieb
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany.
| | - Juergen Fell
- Department of Epileptology, University Hospital Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127 Bonn, Germany
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Gyles SP, McCarley JS, Yamani Y. Psychometric curves reveal changes in bias, lapse rate, and guess rate in an online vigilance task. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023; 85:2879-2893. [PMID: 37115493 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02652-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
When human monitors are required to detect infrequent signals among noise, they typically exhibit a decline in correct detections over time. Researchers have attributed this vigilance decrement to three alternative mechanisms: shifts in response bias, losses of sensitivity, and attentional lapses. The current study examined the extent to which changes in these mechanisms contributed to the vigilance decrement in an online monitoring task. Participants in two experiments (N = 102, N = 192) completed an online signal detection task, judging whether the separation between two probes each trial exceeded a criterion value. Separation was varied across trials and data were fit with logistic psychometric curves using Bayesian hierarchical parameter estimation. Parameters representing sensitivity, response bias, attentional lapse rate, and guess rate were compared across the first and last 4 minutes of the vigil. Data gave decisive evidence of conservative bias shifts, an increased attentional lapse rate, and a decreased positive guess rate over time on task, but no strong evidence for or against an effect of sensitivity. Sensitivity decrements appear less robust than criterion shifts or attention lapses as causes of the vigilance loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon P Gyles
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, 2950 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA.
| | - Jason S McCarley
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, 2950 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA
| | - Yusuke Yamani
- Department of Psychology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA
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liu Y, Dong Q, Yu C, Jin Y, Fang C, Hu Y, Zhou Q. Examining the effects of a modified SART when measuring mind-wandering. Brain Behav 2023; 13:e3175. [PMID: 37469329 PMCID: PMC10498071 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Mind-wandering (MW) is defined as a shift of attention from external tasks toward internal thoughts and is popularly measured by the sustained attention to response task (SART). SART is able to capture MW, but cannot track the dynamics of mind-wandering over time well. We thus attempted to modify the sustained attention to response task paradigm (mSART) to capture the participant's mind-wandering state over time and quantify the degree of mind-wandering using the current behavioral data. METHODS 179 participants from Wenzhou Medical University were recruited to participate in this experiment. The main changes to the experiment included (1) manipulating different no-go stimuli frequencies to control the difficulty of the task and setting 9 modes; (2) extending the experiment time to 30 min; (3) allowing participants to correct errors by pressing the b key. Error rate, Mean RTs, RT CV, and d' were used to reflect MW. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed. RESULTS ANOVA was used to explore Mean RTs, RT CV and d' for participants with different levels of mind-wandering and significant differences were found (Mean RTs:Welch's F (2, 8606.04) = 579.00, p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.03; RT CV:Welch's F (2, 198.11) = 69.93, p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.18; d':F (2, 176) = 19.88, p < .001, ηp 2 = 0.18). The 30-min experiment was divided into six time windows, and mind-wandering deepens over time. CONCLUSIONS The mSART paradigm could quantify the extent of MW based on changes in the frequency at which the no-go stimuli were presented and also revealed that the recommended length of the experiment was about 20 min.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuqing liu
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Qin Dong
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - ChengHao Yu
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - YuTong Jin
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - ChenYuan Fang
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Yu Hu
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
- Psychology and Behavior Research Center, Wenzhou UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Department of psychologyWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhouZhejiangChina
- Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Institute of AgingWenzhouZhejiangChina
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Martínez-Pérez V, Andreu A, Sandoval-Lentisco A, Tortajada M, Palmero LB, Castillo A, Campoy G, Fuentes LJ. Vigilance decrement and mind-wandering in sustained attention tasks: Two sides of the same coin? Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1122406. [PMID: 37056308 PMCID: PMC10086236 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1122406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BackgroundDecrements in performance and the propensity for increased mind-wandering (i.e., task-unrelated thoughts) across time-on-task are two pervasive phenomena observed when people perform vigilance tasks. In the present study, we asked whether processes that lead to vigilance decrement and processes that foster the propensity for mind-wandering (MW) can be dissociated or whether they share a common mechanism. In one experiment, we introduced two critical manipulations: increasing task demands and applying anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.MethodSeventy-eight participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups resulting from the factorial combination of task demand (low, high) and stimulation (anodal, sham). Participants completed the sustained attention to response task (SART), which included thought probes on intentional and unintentional MW. In addition, we investigated the crucial role of alpha oscillations in a novel approach. By assessing pre-post resting EEG, we explored whether participants’ variability in baseline alpha power predicted performance in MW and vigilance decrement related to tDCS or task demands, respectively, and whether such variability was a stable characteristic of participants.ResultsOur results showed a double dissociation, such that task demands exclusively affected vigilance decrement, while anodal tDCS exclusively affected the rate of MW. Furthermore, the slope of the vigilance decrement function and MW rate (overall, intentional and unintentional) did not correlate. Critically, resting state alpha-band activity predicted tDCS-related gains in unintentional MW alone, but not in vigilance decrement, and remained stable after participants completed the task.ConclusionThese results show that when a sustained attention task involving executive vigilance, such as the SART, is designed to elicit both vigilance decrement effects and MW, the processes leading to vigilance decrement should be differentiated from those responsible for MW, a claim that is supported by the double dissociation observed here and the lack of correlation between the measures chosen to assess both phenomena. Furthermore, the results provide the first evidence of how individual differences in alpha power at baseline may be of crucial importance in predicting the effects of tDCS on MW propensity.
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Wong YS, Willoughby AR, Machado L. Reconceptualizing mind wandering from a switching perspective. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2023; 87:357-372. [PMID: 35348846 PMCID: PMC9928802 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01676-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Mind wandering is a universal phenomenon in which our attention shifts away from the task at hand toward task-unrelated thoughts. Despite it inherently involving a shift in mental set, little is known about the role of cognitive flexibility in mind wandering. In this article we consider the potential of cognitive flexibility as a mechanism for mediating and/or regulating the occurrence of mind wandering. Our review begins with a brief introduction to the prominent theories of mind wandering-the executive failure hypothesis, the decoupling hypothesis, the process-occurrence framework, and the resource-control account of sustained attention. Then, after discussing their respective merits and weaknesses, we put forward a new perspective of mind wandering focused on cognitive flexibility, which provides an account more in line with the data to date, including why older populations experience a reduction in mind wandering. After summarizing initial evidence prompting this new perspective, drawn from several mind-wandering and task-switching studies, we recommend avenues for future research aimed at further understanding the importance of cognitive flexibility in mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Sheng Wong
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand.
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand.
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, Nusajaya, Malaysia.
| | - Adrian R Willoughby
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Malaysia, Nusajaya, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Subang Jaya, Malaysia
| | - Liana Machado
- Department of Psychology and Brain Health Research Centre, University of Otago, William James Building, 275 Leith Walk, Dunedin, 9016, New Zealand
- Brain Research New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand
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Li HX, Lu B, Wang YW, Li XY, Chen X, Yan CG. Neural representations of self-generated thought during think-aloud fMRI. Neuroimage 2023; 265:119775. [PMID: 36455761 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Is the brain at rest during the so-called resting state? Ongoing experiences in the resting state vary in unobserved and uncontrolled ways across time, individuals, and populations. However, the role of self-generated thoughts in resting-state fMRI remains largely unexplored. In this study, we collected real-time self-generated thoughts during "resting-state" fMRI scans via the think-aloud method (i.e., think-aloud fMRI), which required participants to report whatever they were currently thinking. We first investigated brain activation patterns during a think-aloud condition and found that significantly activated brain areas included all brain regions required for speech. We then calculated the relationship between divergence in thought content and brain activation during think-aloud and found that divergence in thought content was associated with many brain regions. Finally, we explored the neural representation of self-generated thoughts by performing representational similarity analysis (RSA) at three neural scales: a voxel-wise whole-brain searchlight level, a region-level whole-brain analysis using the Schaefer 400-parcels, and at the systems level using the Yeo seven-networks. We found that "resting-state" self-generated thoughts were distributed across a wide range of brain regions involving all seven Yeo networks. This study highlights the value of considering ongoing experiences during resting-state fMRI and providing preliminary methodological support for think-aloud fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Xian Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; International Big-Data Center for Depression Research, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bin Lu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; International Big-Data Center for Depression Research, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Wei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; International Big-Data Center for Depression Research, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Ying Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; International Big-Data Center for Depression Research, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; International Big-Data Center for Depression Research, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chao-Gan Yan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; International Big-Data Center for Depression Research, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Spontaneous mind-wandering tendencies linked to cognitive flexibility in young adults. Conscious Cogn 2022; 102:103335. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Palmero LB, Martínez-Pérez V, Tortajada M, Campoy G, Fuentes LJ. Mid-luteal phase progesterone effects on vigilance tasks are modulated by women's chronotype. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 140:105722. [PMID: 35316685 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In this study we assessed the effects of progesterone on vigilance tasks that require sustained attention. In contrast to previous research, we differentiated two components of vigilance: the exogenous component, involved in monotonous and tedious tasks such as the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT); and the endogenous component, involved in tasks that require cognitive control such as the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART). METHODS A sample of 32 female participants differing in extreme chronotypes were tested at their optimal and non-optimal time-of-day, as secretion of sex hormones follows biological rhythms. Ovulation tests that measure the presence of luteinizing hormone (LH) in urine were used to minimize methodological errors. Women of Morning-type or Evening-type chronotypes completed 4 experimental sessions of the two attentional tasks when they were in their follicular (low progesterone level) and mid-luteal (high progesterone level) phases, both in the morning (8:00 AM) and the evening (8:30 PM). RESULTS Compared with the follicular phase, performance in the mid-luteal phase improved in the Morning-type participants and worsened in the Evening-type participants. This pattern of results was observed only when testing occurred at the optimal time-of-day and with both the PVT and the SART tasks. CONCLUSION These results suggest that the simultaneous presence of both progesterone and cortisol at 8:00 AM may explain the benefit observed in Morning-type females. In contrast, the low concentration of cortisol along with the reduced benefit of mid-luteal phase progesterone in the evening may account for the worsening in performance observed in Evening-type females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía B Palmero
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Víctor Martínez-Pérez
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Miriam Tortajada
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Guillermo Campoy
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain
| | - Luis J Fuentes
- Departamento de Psicología Básica y Metodología, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
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Martínez-Pérez V, Tortajada M, Palmero LB, Campoy G, Fuentes LJ. Effects of transcranial alternating current stimulation over right-DLPFC on vigilance tasks depend on the arousal level. Sci Rep 2022; 12:547. [PMID: 35017631 PMCID: PMC8752588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-04607-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Current theoretical accounts on the oscillatory nature of sustained attention predict that entrainment via transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) at alpha and theta frequencies on specific areas of the prefrontal cortex could prevent the drops in vigilance across time-on-task. Nonetheless, most previous studies have neglected both the fact that vigilance comprises two dissociable components (i.e., arousal and executive vigilance) and the potential role of differences in arousal levels. We examined the effects of theta- and alpha-tACS over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in both components of vigilance and in participants who differed in arousal level according to their chronotype and time of testing. Intermediate-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal level was optimal, whereas evening-types performed the vigilance tasks when their arousal levels were non-optimal. Both theta- and alpha-tACS improved arousal vigilance in the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), whereas alpha-tACS, but not theta-tACS, improved executive vigilance in the sustained attention to response task (SART), and counteracted the typical vigilance decrement usually observed in this task. Importantly, these stimulation effects were only found when arousal was low (i.e., with evening-types performing the tasks at their non-optimal time of day). The results support the multicomponent view of vigilance, the relevance of heeding individual differences in arousal, and the role of alpha oscillations as a long-range cortical scale synchronization mechanism that compensates the decrements in performance as a function of time-on-task by exerting and maintaining cognitive control attributed to activation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Víctor Martínez-Pérez
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
| | - Miriam Tortajada
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Lucía B Palmero
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Guillermo Campoy
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain
| | - Luis J Fuentes
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Murcia, Campus de Espinardo, 30100, Murcia, Spain.
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