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Safati AB, Carr TH, Lowe CJ, Smilek D. Mind wandering on command. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1448226. [PMID: 39301008 PMCID: PMC11412258 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1448226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Three experiments (N = 336) examined whether participants can systematically adjust levels of mind wandering on command. Participants performed four blocks of the metronome response task (MRT) in which they pressed a spacebar in sync with a steady audio tone. Levels of spontaneous and deliberate mind wandering were measured using intermittent thought probes. Performance was indexed with MRT response time variability and omission errors. Each block started with instructions to mind wander either 20, 40, 60, or 80% of the time. Analysis was primarily conducted using linear mixed effects models. We found that mind wandering (spontaneous and deliberate), response time variability, and omission errors increased progressively with instructions to mind wander more and that these instruction-related changes were larger for deliberate than spontaneous mind wandering (Experiments 1-3). This pattern held regardless of whether participants' eyes were open or shut (Experiment 2). Relative to a control group receiving no commands to mind wander, instructing people to mind wander 60 or 80% of the time led to more deliberate mind wandering, and strikingly, asking people to mind wander 20% of the time led to less spontaneous mind wandering (Experiment 3). Our results suggest that individuals can titrate mind wandering experiences to roughly match instructed levels indicating that mind wandering can be manipulated through simple instructions. However, other features of the data suggest that such titration is effortful and may come with a cost to performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian B Safati
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Thomas H Carr
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Cassandra J Lowe
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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2
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Long Z, Fu Q, Fu X. How mind wandering influences motor control: The modulating role of movement difficulty. Neuroimage 2024; 294:120638. [PMID: 38719153 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120638] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
It has been found that mind wandering can impair motor control. However, it remains unclear whether the impact of mind wandering on motor control is modulated by movement difficulty and its associated neural mechanisms. To address this issue, we manipulated movement difficulty using handedness and finger dexterity separately in two signal-response tasks with identical experiment designs, in which right-handed participants performed key-pressing and key-releasing movements with the specified fingers, and they had to intermittently report whether their attention was "On task" or "Off task." Key-releasing with the right index finger (RI) had a faster reaction time and stronger contralateral delta-theta (1-7 Hz) functional connectivity than with the left index (LI) in Experiment 1, and mind wandering only reduced the contralateral delta-theta functional connectivity and midfrontal delta-theta activity for key-releasing with RI. Key-pressing with right index and middle fingers (RIR) had a faster reaction time and stronger midfrontal delta-theta activity than with right index and ring fingers (RIR) in Experiment 2, and mind wandering only reduced the midfrontal delta-theta activity for key-pressing with RIM. Theta oscillations are vital in motor control. These findings suggest that mind wandering only impairs the motor control of relatively simple movements without affecting the difficult ones. It supports the notion that mind wandering competes for executive resources with the primary task. Moreover, the quantity of executive resources recruited for a task and how these resources are allocated is contingent upon the task difficulty, which may determine whether mind wandering would interfere with motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengkun Long
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qiufang Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaolan Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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3
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Leung J, Go H, Kruger TB, Dixon MJ. Force modulation: A behavioural marker of mind-wandering. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:897-908. [PMID: 38443621 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-024-02868-9] [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] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
It is known that the Metronome Response Task (MRT)-one of the most used mind-wandering sampling paradigms, struggles to differentiate between spontaneous mind-wandering (wherein one's attention is uncontrollably shifted away from the task at hand) and deliberate mind-wandering (wherein one's attention is purposefully shifted away). Thus, we endeavoured to design and test a new mind-wandering measure, called the In Sync Task (IST), that can achieve such differentiation more readily. Unlike the MRT, which involves having participants click in sync (using a mouse) with rhythmically presented, auditory monotones, the IST requires participants to (1) click in sync with tone triplets that increase incrementally in loudness and (2) modulate their clicking force to the presented tone's loudness. Here, we measured (1) participants' variabilities in their rhythmic response times (as is the MRT) and (2) their consistency in appropriately modulating their clicking force. Across two separate samples of university students (n = 119 and n = 121) collected between June 2022 to February 2023, we showed performance differences between the mind-wandering subtypes. Specifically, participants were better able to modulate their clicking force during epochs of spontaneous, compared with deliberate, mind-wandering, whereas the MRT was unable to differentiate between these conditions. In sum, we show that there appear to be greater costs to performance when one deliberately mind-wanders, as opposed to spontaneously mind-wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua Leung
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.
| | - Hanbin Go
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Tyler B Kruger
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Mike J Dixon
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
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4
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Compton RJ, Shudrenko D, Mann K, Turdukulov E, Ng E, Miller L. Effects of task context on EEG correlates of mind-wandering. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:72-86. [PMID: 38030911 PMCID: PMC10827903 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01138-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
This study was designed to examine how mind-wandering and its neural correlates vary across tasks with different attentional demands, motivated by the context regulation hypothesis of mind-wandering. Participants (n = 59 undergraduates) completed the sustained attention to response task (SART) and the Stroop selective attention task in counterbalanced order while EEG was recorded. The tasks included experience-sampling probes to identify self-reported episodes of mind-wandering, along with retrospective reports. Participants reported more mind-wandering during the SART than the Stroop and during whichever task was presented second during the session, compared with first. Replicating previous findings, EEG data (n = 37 usable participants) indicated increased alpha oscillations during episodes of mind-wandering, compared with on-task episodes, for both the SART and Stroop tasks. ERP data, focused on the P2 component reflecting perceptual processing, found that mind-wandering was associated with increased P2 amplitudes during the Stroop task, counter to predictions from the perceptual decoupling theory. Overall, the study found that self-report and neural correlates of mind-wandering are sensitive to task context. This line of research can further the understanding of how mechanisms of mind-wandering are adapted to varied tasks and situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca J Compton
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA.
| | - Danylo Shudrenko
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Katelyn Mann
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Emil Turdukulov
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Erin Ng
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
| | - Lucas Miller
- Psychology Department and Neuroscience Program, Haverford College, Haverford, PA, USA
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5
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Albert DA, Smilek D. Comparing attentional disengagement between Prolific and MTurk samples. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20574. [PMID: 37996446 PMCID: PMC10667324 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46048-5] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention often disengages from primary tasks in favor of secondary tasks (i.e., multitasking) and task-unrelated thoughts (i.e., mind wandering). We assessed whether attentional disengagement, in the context of a cognitive task, can substantially differ between samples from commonly used online participant recruitment platforms, Prolific and Mechanical Turk (MTurk). Initially, eighty participants were recruited through Prolific to perform an attention task in which the risk of losing points for errors was varied (high risk = 80% chance of loss, low risk = 20% chance of loss). Attentional disengagement was measured via task performance along with self-reported mind wandering and multitasking. On Prolific, we observed surprisingly low levels of disengagement. We then conducted the same experiment on MTurk. Strikingly, MTurk participants exhibited more disengagement than Prolific participants. There was also an interaction between risk and platform, with the high-risk group exhibiting less disengagement, in terms of better task performance, than the low-risk group, but only on MTurk. Platform differences in individual traits related to disengagement and relations among study variables were also observed. Platform differences persisted, but were smaller, after increasing MTurk reputation criteria and remuneration in a second experiment. Therefore, recruitment platform and recruitment criteria could impact results related to attentional disengagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Albert
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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Girardeau JC, Ledru R, Gaston-Bellegarde A, Blondé P, Sperduti M, Piolino P. The benefits of mind wandering on a naturalistic prospective memory task. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11432. [PMID: 37454161 PMCID: PMC10349849 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37996-z] [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: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Mind wandering (MW) occurs when our attention spontaneously shifts from the task at hand to inner thoughts. MW is often future-oriented and may help people remember to carry out their planned actions (Prospective Memory, PM). Past-oriented MW might also play a critical role in boosting PM performance. Sixty participants learned 24 PM items and recalled them during an immersive virtual walk in a town. The items were divided into event-based-EB and time-based-TB. During the PM retention phase, participants were randomly assigned to a high or a low cognitive load condition, in order to manipulate MW frequency. Some PM items were encoded before this MW manipulation (pre-PM) and some during the virtual walk (post-PM). A high MW frequency was linked with better global PM performances. Spontaneous past-oriented MW predicted better pre-EB retrospective PM retrieval, while spontaneous future-oriented MW predicted better Pre-EB prospective PM retrieval. Voluntary future-oriented MW predicted better post-EB retrospective retrieval. We highlighted, for the first time, a differential impact of spontaneous MW content depending on the PM component (retrospective or prospective). Past-oriented MW is crucial for (re)consolidating PM intentions, and episodic future thinking MW for the execution of PM intentions. We discuss the twofold functional role of MW, namely, to consolidate an already programmed intention and to plan future actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Girardeau
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 71 Ave Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
| | - R Ledru
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 71 Ave Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - A Gaston-Bellegarde
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 71 Ave Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - P Blondé
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 71 Ave Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
- Icelandic Vision Lab, University of Iceland, Reykjavik, Iceland
| | - M Sperduti
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 71 Ave Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France
| | - P Piolino
- Laboratoire Mémoire, Cerveau & Cognition (LMC2 UR 7536), Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Cité, 71 Ave Édouard Vaillant, 92100, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
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7
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Cnudde K, Kim G, Murch WS, Handy TC, Protzner AB, Kam JWY. EEG complexity during mind wandering: A multiscale entropy investigation. Neuropsychologia 2023; 180:108480. [PMID: 36621593 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108480] [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: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Our attention often drifts away from the ongoing task to task-unrelated thoughts, a phenomenon commonly referred to as mind wandering. Ample studies dedicated to delineating its electrophysiological correlates have revealed distinct event-related potentials (ERP) and spectral patterns associated with mind wandering. It remains less clear whether the complexity of the electroencephalography (EEG) changes when our minds wander, a metric that captures the predictability of the time series at varying timescales. Accordingly, this study investigated whether mind wandering impacts EEG signal complexity. We further explored whether such effects differ across timescales, and change in a context-dependent manner as indexed by global and local levels of processing. To address this, we recorded participants' EEG while they completed Navon's global and local processing task and occasionally reported whether they were on-task or mind wandering throughout the task. We found that brain signal complexity as indexed by multiscale entropy decreased at medium timescales in centro-parietal regions and increased at coarse timescales in anterior and posterior regions during mind wandering, as compared to the on-task state, for global processing. Moreover, global processing showed increased complexity at fine to medium timescales compared to local processing. Finally, behavioral performance revealed a context-dependent effect in accuracy measures, with mind wandering showing lower accuracy compared to the on-task state only during the local condition. Taken together, these results indicate that changes in brain signal complexity across timescales may be an important feature of mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Cnudde
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4.
| | - Gahyun Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | - W Spencer Murch
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4; Department of Sociology & Anthropology, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Blvd W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3G 1M8
| | - Todd C Handy
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Andrea B Protzner
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4; Mathison Centre for Mental Health, University of Calgary, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 4Z6
| | - Julia W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4; Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
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Axelrod V, Rozier C, Lehongre K, Adam C, Lambrecq V, Navarro V, Naccache L. Neural modulations in the auditory cortex during internal and external attention tasks: A single-patient intracranial recording study. Cortex 2022; 157:211-230. [PMID: 36335821 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.09.011] [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: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain sensory processing is not passive, but is rather modulated by our internal state. Different research methods such as non-invasive imaging methods and intracranial recording of the local field potential (LFP) have been used to study to what extent sensory processing and the auditory cortex in particular are modulated by selective attention. However, at the level of the single- or multi-units the selective attention in humans has not been tested. In addition, most previous research on selective attention has explored externally-oriented attention, but attention can be also directed inward (i.e., internal attention), like spontaneous self-generated thoughts and mind-wandering. In the present study we had a rare opportunity to record multi-unit activity (MUA) in the auditory cortex of a patient. To complement, we also analyzed the LFP signal of the macro-contact in the auditory cortex. Our experiment consisted of two conditions with periodic beeping sounds. The participants were asked either to count the beeps (i.e., an "external attention" condition) or to recall the events of the previous day (i.e., an "internal attention" condition). We found that the four out of seven recorded units in the auditory cortex showed increased firing rates in "external attention" compared to "internal attention" condition. The beginning of this attentional modulation varied across multi-units between 30-50 msec and 130-150 msec from stimulus onset, a result that is compatible with an early selection view. The LFP evoked potential and induced high gamma activity both showed attentional modulation starting at about 70-80 msec. As the control, for the same experiment we recorded MUA activity in the amygdala and hippocampus of two additional patients. No major attentional modulation was found in the control regions. Overall, we believe that our results provide new empirical information and support for existing theoretical views on selective attention and spontaneous self-generated cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vadim Axelrod
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
| | - Camille Rozier
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France
| | - Katia Lehongre
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche-CENIR, Paris Brain Institute, UMRS 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Pitié-Salpêtriere Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Claude Adam
- AP-HP, GH Pitie-Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Department, Paris, France
| | - Virginie Lambrecq
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurophysiology, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UMR S1127, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Navarro
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; AP-HP, GH Pitie-Salpêtrière-Charles Foix, Epilepsy Unit, Neurology Department, Paris, France; Sorbonne Université, UMR S1127, Paris, France
| | - Lionel Naccache
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, ICM, INSERM U1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Paris, France; AP-HP, Groupe hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Department of Neurophysiology, Paris, France
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9
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Sánchez C, Moskalewicz M. Kinesthesia and Temporal Experience: On the 'Knitting and Unknitting' Process of Bodily Subjectivity in Schizophrenia. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:2720. [PMID: 36359562 PMCID: PMC9689052 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12112720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
This paper proposes a phenomenological hypothesis that psychosis entails a disturbance of the two-fold process of the indication function of kinesthesia and the presentification function of touch that affects the constitution of bodily subjectivity. Recent functional connectivity studies showed that the increased synchrony between the right anterior insula and the default mode network are associated with psychosis. This association is proposed to be correlated with the disrupted dynamics between the pre-reflective and reflective temporal experience in psychotic patients. The paper first examines the dynamic nature of kinesthesia and the influence touch and vision exert on it, and then the reciprocal influence with temporal experience focusing on the body's cyclic sense of temporality and its impact on physiology and phenomenology. Affectivity and self-affection are considered in their basic bodily expressions mainly through the concepts of responsivity and receptivity. The overall constitutive processes referred to throughout the article are proposed as a roadmap to develop body-based therapeutic work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilo Sánchez
- Philosophy of Mental Health Unit, Department of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznan, Poland
| | - Marcin Moskalewicz
- Philosophy of Mental Health Unit, Department of Social Sciences and the Humanities, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 61-701 Poznan, Poland
- Institute of Philosophy, Marie Sklodowska-Curie University, 20-400 Lublin, Poland
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10
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Where Is My Mind…? The Link between Mind Wandering and Prospective Memory. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091139. [PMID: 36138875 PMCID: PMC9497275 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Mind wandering (MW) is a common feature of the human experience occurring when our attention shifts from the task at hand to inner thoughts. MW seems to be often future-oriented and could be used to help people to carry out their planned actions (Prospective Memory PM). Here, we tested the link between MW and the ability to perform PM intentions. We assessed MW and PM over 15 days using experience-sampling probes via mobile phone (226 participants) associated with a naturalistic PM task. We confirmed that MW occupies a significant proportion of our mental activity (40%). This time seems to be mainly used to project ourselves into the future (64%), whether to anticipate and imagine the long term (20%) or to plan daily obligations (44%). Intriguingly, only past-oriented thoughts (9%) predict the PM performance. We discuss the possible functional role played by MW in maintaining intentions in mind.
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11
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Yang H, Paller KA, van Vugt M. The steady state visual evoked potential (SSVEP) tracks "sticky" thinking, but not more general mind-wandering. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:892863. [PMID: 36034124 PMCID: PMC9402933 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.892863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
For a large proportion of our daily lives, spontaneously occurring thoughts tend to disengage our minds from goal-directed thinking. Previous studies showed that EEG features such as the P3 and alpha oscillations can predict mind-wandering to some extent, but only with accuracies of around 60%. A potential candidate for improving prediction accuracy is the Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential (SSVEP), which is used frequently in single-trial contexts such as brain-computer interfaces as a marker of the direction of attention. In this study, we modified the sustained attention to response task (SART) that is usually employed to measure spontaneous thought to incorporate the SSVEP elicited by a 12.5-Hz flicker. We then examined whether the SSVEP could track and allow for the prediction of the stickiness and task-relatedness dimensions of spontaneous thought. Our results show that the SSVEP evoked by flickering words was able to distinguish between more and less sticky thinking but not between whether a participant was on- or off-task. This suggests that the SSVEP is able to track spontaneous thinking when it is strongly disengaged from the task (as in the sticky form of off-task thinking) but not off-task thought in general. Future research should determine the exact dimensions of spontaneous thought to which the SSVEP is most sensitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hang Yang
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ken A. Paller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Marieke van Vugt
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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12
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Kam JWY, Rahnuma T, Park YE, Hart CM. Electrophysiological markers of mind wandering: A systematic review. Neuroimage 2022; 258:119372. [PMID: 35700946 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to mentally wander away from the external environment is a remarkable feature of the human mind. Although recent years have witnessed a surge of interest in examining mind wandering using EEG, there is no comprehensive review that summarizes and accounts for the variable findings. Accordingly, we conducted a systematic review that synthesizes evidence from EEG studies that examined the electrophysiological measures of mind wandering. Our search yielded 42 studies that met eligibility criteria. The reviewed literature converges on a reduction in the amplitude of canonical ERP components (i.e., P1, N1 and P3) as the most reliable markers of mind wandering. Spectral findings were less robust, but point towards greater activity in lower frequency bands, (i.e., delta, theta, and alpha), as well as a decrease in beta band activity, during mind wandering compared to on-task states. The variability in these findings appears to be modulated by the task context. To integrate these findings, we propose an electrophysiological account of mind wandering that explains how the brain supports this inner experience. Conclusions drawn from this work will inform future endeavours in basic science to map out electrophysiological patterns underlying mind wandering and in translational science using EEG to predict the occurrence of this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- J W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary. 2500 University Dr. NW., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary. 3330 Hospital Dr. NW., Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada.
| | - T Rahnuma
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary. 3330 Hospital Dr. NW., Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Y E Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary. 2500 University Dr. NW., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - C M Hart
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary. 2500 University Dr. NW., Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada
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13
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Mancuso L, Cavuoti-Cabanillas S, Liloia D, Manuello J, Buzi G, Cauda F, Costa T. Tasks activating the default mode network map multiple functional systems. Brain Struct Funct 2022; 227:1711-1734. [PMID: 35179638 PMCID: PMC9098625 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02467-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent developments in network neuroscience suggest reconsidering what we thought we knew about the default mode network (DMN). Although this network has always been seen as unitary and associated with the resting state, a new deconstructive line of research is pointing out that the DMN could be divided into multiple subsystems supporting different functions. By now, it is well known that the DMN is not only deactivated by tasks, but also involved in affective, mnestic, and social paradigms, among others. Nonetheless, it is starting to become clear that the array of activities in which it is involved, might also be extended to more extrinsic functions. The present meta-analytic study is meant to push this boundary a bit further. The BrainMap database was searched for all experimental paradigms activating the DMN, and their activation likelihood estimation maps were then computed. An additional map of task-induced deactivations was also created. A multidimensional scaling indicated that such maps could be arranged along an anatomo-psychological gradient, which goes from midline core activations, associated with the most internal functions, to that of lateral cortices, involved in more external tasks. Further multivariate investigations suggested that such extrinsic mode is especially related to reward, semantic, and emotional functions. However, an important finding was that the various activation maps were often different from the canonical representation of the resting-state DMN, sometimes overlapping with it only in some peripheral nodes, and including external regions such as the insula. Altogether, our findings suggest that the intrinsic-extrinsic opposition may be better understood in the form of a continuous scale, rather than a dichotomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Mancuso
- FOCUS Lab Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Donato Liloia
- FOCUS Lab Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Jordi Manuello
- FOCUS Lab Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Giulia Buzi
- FOCUS Lab Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
| | - Franco Cauda
- FOCUS Lab Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Tommaso Costa
- FOCUS Lab Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Via Giuseppe Verdi 10, 10124, Turin, Italy.
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
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14
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Do Attentional Lapses Account for the Worst Performance Rule? J Intell 2021; 10:jintelligence10010002. [PMID: 35076568 PMCID: PMC8788519 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10010002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The worst performance rule (WPR) describes the phenomenon that individuals’ slowest responses in a task are often more predictive of their intelligence than their fastest or average responses. To explain this phenomenon, it was previously suggested that occasional lapses of attention during task completion might be associated with particularly slow reaction times. Because less intelligent individuals should experience lapses of attention more frequently, reaction time distribution should be more heavily skewed for them than for more intelligent people. Consequently, the correlation between intelligence and reaction times should increase from the lowest to the highest quantile of the response time distribution. This attentional lapses account has some intuitive appeal, but has not yet been tested empirically. Using a hierarchical modeling approach, we investigated whether the WPR pattern would disappear when including different behavioral, self-report, and neural measurements of attentional lapses as predictors. In a sample of N = 85, we found that attentional lapses accounted for the WPR, but effect sizes of single covariates were mostly small to very small. We replicated these results in a reanalysis of a much larger previously published data set. Our findings render empirical support to the attentional lapses account of the WPR.
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15
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Dias da Silva MR, Postma M. Straying Off Course: The Negative Impact of Mind Wandering on Fine Motor Movements. J Mot Behav 2021; 54:186-202. [PMID: 34346297 DOI: 10.1080/00222895.2021.1937032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to examine how various degrees of perceptual decoupling during mind wandering affect fine motor control. We hypothesized that while under normal circumstances attention ensures an optimal control strategy that leads to accurate motor performance, during mind wandering the process becomes disrupted. In this study, we conducted a computer-based experiment with a tracking task. During mind wandering, motor movements were more erratic and less variable, indicative of reduced attentiveness to the continuous demands of the external task. Importantly, the deeper the reported mind wandering, the less accurate and less variable were the mouse movements, suggesting that perceptual decoupling may take place in a graded rather than in an all or nothing manner. Greater movement intermittency was associated with higher tracking accuracy, suggesting that more corrective movements toward a moving target were functional to task performance. Moreover, greater variance in velocity was negatively correlated with tracking accuracy. These findings suggest that periods of inattention to the task have a negative impact on fine motor movement control by making behavior unpredictable, providing support for the idea that there is a decoupling of sensory-motor processes during mind wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marie Postma
- Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence Department, Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands
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16
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Mind wandering at encoding, but not at retrieval, disrupts one-shot stimulus-control learning. Atten Percept Psychophys 2021; 83:2968-2982. [PMID: 34322789 PMCID: PMC8318327 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-021-02343-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The one-shot pairing of a stimulus with a specific cognitive control process, such as task switching, can bind the two together in memory. The episodic control-binding hypothesis posits that the formation of temporary stimulus-control bindings, which are held in event-files supported by episodic memory, can guide the contextually appropriate application of cognitive control. Across two experiments, we sought to examine the role of task-focused attention in the encoding and implementation of stimulus-control bindings in episodic event-files. In Experiment 1, we obtained self-reports of mind wandering during encoding and implementation of stimulus-control bindings. Results indicated that, whereas mind wandering during the implementation of stimulus-control bindings does not decrease their efficacy, mind wandering during the encoding of these control-state associations interferes with their successful deployment at a later point. In Experiment 2, we complemented these results by using trial-by-trial pupillometry to measure attention, again demonstrating that attention levels at encoding predict the subsequent implementation of stimulus-control bindings better than attention levels at implementation. These results suggest that, although encoding stimulus-control bindings in episodic memory requires active attention and engagement, once encoded, these bindings are automatically deployed to guide behavior when the stimulus recurs. These findings expand our understanding of how cognitive control processes are integrated into episodic event files.
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17
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Does task-irrelevant music affect gaze allocation during real-world scene viewing? Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 28:1944-1960. [PMID: 34159530 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-01947-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Gaze control manifests from a dynamic integration of visual and auditory information, with sound providing important cues for how a viewer should behave. Some past research suggests that music, even if entirely irrelevant to the current task demands, may also sway the timing and frequency of fixations. The current work sought to further assess this idea as well as investigate whether task-irrelevant music could also impact how gaze is spatially allocated. In preparation for a later memory test, participants studied pictures of urban scenes in silence or while simultaneously listening to one of two types of music. Eye tracking was recorded, and nine gaze behaviors were measured to characterize the temporal and spatial aspects of gaze control. Findings showed that while these gaze behaviors changed over the course of viewing, music had no impact. Participants in the music conditions, however, did show better memory performance than those who studied in silence. These findings are discussed within theories of multimodal gaze control.
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18
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Dong HW, Mills C, Knight RT, Kam JWY. Detection of mind wandering using EEG: Within and across individuals. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0251490. [PMID: 33979407 PMCID: PMC8115801 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0251490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Mind wandering is often characterized by attention oriented away from an external task towards our internal, self-generated thoughts. This universal phenomenon has been linked to numerous disruptive functional outcomes, including performance errors and negative affect. Despite its prevalence and impact, studies to date have yet to identify robust behavioral signatures, making unobtrusive, yet reliable detection of mind wandering a difficult but important task for future applications. Here we examined whether electrophysiological measures can be used in machine learning models to accurately predict mind wandering states. We recorded scalp EEG from participants as they performed an auditory target detection task and self-reported whether they were on task or mind wandering. We successfully classified attention states both within (person-dependent) and across (person-independent) individuals using event-related potential (ERP) measures. Non-linear and linear machine learning models detected mind wandering above-chance within subjects: support vector machine (AUC = 0.715) and logistic regression (AUC = 0.635). Importantly, these models also generalized across subjects: support vector machine (AUC = 0.613) and logistic regression (AUC = 0.609), suggesting we can reliably predict a given individual's attention state based on ERP patterns observed in the group. This study is the first to demonstrate that machine learning models can generalize to "never-seen-before" individuals using electrophysiological measures, highlighting their potential for real-time prediction of covert attention states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry W. Dong
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Caitlin Mills
- Department of Psychology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, United States of America
| | - Robert T. Knight
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Julia W. Y. Kam
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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19
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Gouraud J, Delorme A, Berberian B. Mind Wandering Influences EEG Signal in Complex Multimodal Environments. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2021; 2:625343. [PMID: 38236482 PMCID: PMC10790857 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2021.625343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
The phenomenon of mind wandering (MW), as a family of experiences related to internally directed cognition, heavily influences vigilance evolution. In particular, humans in teleoperations monitoring partially automated fleet before assuming manual control whenever necessary may see their attention drift due to internal sources; as such, it could play an important role in the emergence of out-of-the-loop (OOTL) situations and associated performance problems. To follow, quantify, and mitigate this phenomenon, electroencephalogram (EEG) systems already demonstrated robust results. As MW creates an attentional decoupling, both ERPs and brain oscillations are impacted. However, the factors influencing these markers in complex environments are still not fully understood. In this paper, we specifically addressed the possibility of gradual emergence of attentional decoupling and the differences created by the sensory modality used to convey targets. Eighteen participants were asked to (1) supervise an automated drone performing an obstacle avoidance task (visual task) and (2) respond to infrequent beeps as fast as possible (auditory task). We measured event-related potentials and alpha waves through EEG. We also added a 40-Hz amplitude modulated brown noise to evoke steady-state auditory response (ASSR). Reported MW episodes were categorized between task-related and task-unrelated episodes. We found that N1 ERP component elicited by beeps had lower amplitude during task-unrelated MW, whereas P3 component had higher amplitude during task-related MW, compared with other attentional states. Focusing on parieto-occipital regions, alpha-wave activity was higher during task-unrelated MW compared with others. These results support the decoupling hypothesis for task-unrelated MW but not task-related MW, highlighting possible variations in the "depth" of decoupling depending on MW episodes. Finally, we found no influence of attentional states on ASSR amplitude. We discuss possible reasons explaining why. Results underline both the ability of EEG to track and study MW in laboratory tasks mimicking ecological environments, as well as the complex influence of perceptual decoupling on operators' behavior and, in particular, EEG measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Gouraud
- Systems Control and Flight Dynamics Department, Office National d'Etudes et de Recherche Aérospatiales, Salon de Provence, France
| | - Arnaud Delorme
- Center of Research on Brain and Cognition (UMR 5549), Centre National de Recherche Scientifique, Toulouse, France
| | - Bruno Berberian
- Systems Control and Flight Dynamics Department, Office National d'Etudes et de Recherche Aérospatiales, Salon de Provence, France
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20
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Hu M, Simon M, Fix S, Vivino AA, Bernat E. Exploring a sustainable building's impact on occupant mental health and cognitive function in a virtual environment. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5644. [PMID: 33707545 PMCID: PMC7970961 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85210-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Even though people spend the majority of their time indoors, the role of buildings in shaping human experience is still not well understood. The objective of this experimental project is to develop, test, and validate a data-driven neuroscience approach to understand the built environment’s impact on occupant cognitive function and mental health. The present study utilized virtual environments and electroencephalogram (EEG) and event-related potential (ERP) approaches, to provide objective neurophysiological information about how sustainable buildings (SBs) impact people’s affective and cognitive functioning differently compared to conventional building (CBs). The long-term goal is to assess the validity of sustainable building design protocols in promoting and increasing mental health and well-being and the mechanism used to accomplish these increases. The findings showed test subjects demonstrated increased visual system engagement and modulated attentional focus and control processing in the SB compared to the CB environments. The findings can be explained by the cognitive load theory, which is consistent with the interpretation of greater focus on the present environment and reduced internal mental processing (cf. mindfulness), based on the observed increased theta/delta activities and greater engagement of visual systems and corresponding decreases in frontal activity in the SB environment. In addition, the combination of virtual environment (VE) and EEG/ERP has the potential to advance design methods by soliciting occupants’ responses prior to completion of the projects. Building design is more than aesthetics; expanding the horizon for neuroscience would eventually result in a new knowledge base for building design, particularly sustainable building design, since the sustainability of the building often needs to be quantified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Hu
- School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, 3835 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA.
| | - Madlen Simon
- School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, University of Maryland, 3835 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, USA
| | - Spencer Fix
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Anthony A Vivino
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Edward Bernat
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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21
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Kam JWY, Helfrich RF, Solbakk AK, Endestad T, Larsson PG, Lin JJ, Knight RT. Top-Down Attentional Modulation in Human Frontal Cortex: Differential Engagement during External and Internal Attention. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:873-883. [PMID: 33063100 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of electrophysiological research on top-down control converge on the role of the lateral frontal cortex in facilitating attention to behaviorally relevant external inputs. However, the involvement of frontal cortex in the top-down control of attention directed to the external versus internal environment remains poorly understood. To address this, we recorded intracranial electrocorticography while subjects directed their attention externally to tones and responded to infrequent target tones, or internally to their own thoughts while ignoring the tones. Our analyses focused on frontal and temporal cortices. We first computed the target effect, as indexed by the difference in high frequency activity (70-150 Hz) between target and standard tones. Importantly, we then compared the target effect between external and internal attention, reflecting a top-down attentional effect elicited by task demands, in each region of interest. Both frontal and temporal cortices showed target effects during external and internal attention, suggesting this effect is present irrespective of attention states. However, only the frontal cortex showed an enhanced target effect during external relative to internal attention. These findings provide electrophysiological evidence for top-down attentional modulation in the lateral frontal cortex, revealing preferential engagement with external attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary AB T2N 1N4, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary AB T2N 4N1, Canada.,Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Randolph F Helfrich
- Center for Neurology, University Medical Center Tübingen, Tübingen 2669-72016, Germany.,Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Anne-Kristin Solbakk
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway.,Department of Neuropsychology, Helgeland Hospital, Oslo, 0317, Norway.,Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, 0450, Norway
| | - Tor Endestad
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål G Larsson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, 0450, Norway.,Department of Neurosurgery, Division of Surgery, Oslo University Hospital - Rikshospitalet, Oslo, 0450, Norway
| | - Jack J Lin
- Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, University of California - Irvine, Irvine, CA 92868, USA
| | - Robert T Knight
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of California - Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
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22
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Huijser S, Verkaik M, van Vugt MK, Taatgen NA. Captivated by thought: "Sticky" thinking leaves traces of perceptual decoupling in task-evoked pupil size. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243532. [PMID: 33296415 PMCID: PMC7725397 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Throughout the day, we may sometimes catch ourselves in patterns of thought that we experience as rigid and difficult to disengage from. Such "sticky" thinking can be highly disruptive to ongoing tasks, and when it turns into rumination constitutes a vulnerability for mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. The main goal of the present study was to explore the stickiness dimension of thought, by investigating how stickiness is reflected in task performance and pupil size. To measure spontaneous thought processes, we asked participants to perform a sustained attention to response task (SART), in which we embedded the participant's concerns to potentially increase the probability of observing sticky thinking. The results indicated that sticky thinking was most frequently experienced when participants were disengaged from the task. Such episodes of sticky thought could be discriminated from neutral and non-sticky thought by an increase in errors on infrequent no-go trials. Furthermore, we found that sticky thought was associated with smaller pupil responses during correct responding. These results demonstrate that participants can report on the stickiness of their thought, and that stickiness can be investigated using pupillometry. In addition, the results suggest that sticky thought may limit attention and exertion of cognitive control to the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Huijser
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Mathanja Verkaik
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marieke K van Vugt
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Niels A Taatgen
- Bernoulli Institute for Mathematics, Computer Science, and Artificial Intelligence, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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23
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Zanesco AP, Denkova E, Jha AP. Self-reported Mind Wandering and Response Time Variability Differentiate Prestimulus Electroencephalogram Microstate Dynamics during a Sustained Attention Task. J Cogn Neurosci 2020; 33:28-45. [PMID: 33054554 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Brain activity continuously and spontaneously fluctuates during tasks of sustained attention. This spontaneous activity reflects the intrinsic dynamics of neurocognitive networks, which have been suggested to differentiate moments of externally directed task focus from episodes of mind wandering. However, the contribution of specific electrophysiological brain states and their millisecond dynamics to the experience of mind wandering is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between electroencephalogram microstate temporal dynamics and self-reported mind wandering. Thirty-six participants completed a sustained attention to response task in which they were asked to respond to frequently occurring upright faces (nontargets) and withhold responses to rare inverted faces (targets). Intermittently, experience sampling probes assessed whether participants were focused on the task or whether they were mind wandering (i.e., off-task). Broadband electroencephalography was recorded and segmented into a time series of brain electric microstates based on data-driven clustering of topographic voltage patterns. The strength, prevalence, and rate of occurrence of specific microstates differentiated on- versus off-task moments in the prestimulus epochs of trials preceding probes. Similar associations were also evident between microstates and variability in response times. Together, these findings demonstrate that distinct microstates and their millisecond dynamics are sensitive to the experience of mind wandering.
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24
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Ho NSP, Baker D, Karapanagiotidis T, Seli P, Wang HT, Leech R, Bernhardt B, Margulies D, Jefferies E, Smallwood J. Missing the forest because of the trees: slower alternations during binocular rivalry are associated with lower levels of visual detail during ongoing thought. Neurosci Conscious 2020; 2020:niaa020. [PMID: 33042581 PMCID: PMC7533427 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niaa020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2020] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Conscious awareness of the world fluctuates, either through variation in how vividly we perceive the environment, or when our attentional focus shifts away from information in the external environment towards information that we generate via imagination. Our study combined individual differences in experience sampling, psychophysical reports of perception and neuroimaging descriptions of structural connectivity to better understand these changes in conscious awareness. In particular, we examined (i) whether aspects of ongoing thought—indexed via multi-dimensional experience sampling during a sustained attention task—are associated with the white matter fibre organization of the cortex as reflected by their relative degree of anisotropic diffusion and (ii) whether these neurocognitive descriptions of ongoing experience are related to a more constrained measure of visual consciousness through analysis of bistable perception during binocular rivalry. Individuals with greater fractional anisotropy in right hemisphere white matter regions involving the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, the superior longitudinal fasciculus and the cortico-spinal tract, described their ongoing thoughts as lacking external details. Subsequent analysis indicated that the combination of low fractional anisotropy in these right hemisphere regions, with reports of thoughts with high levels of external details, was associated with the shortest periods of dominance during binocular rivalry. Since variation in binocular rivalry reflects differences between bottom-up and top-down influences on vision, our study suggests that reports of ongoing thoughts with vivid external details may occur when conscious precedence is given to bottom-up representation of perceptual information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nerissa Siu Ping Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.,School of Psychology, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK
| | - Daniel Baker
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | | | - Paul Seli
- Department of Psychology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hao Ting Wang
- Sackler Centre for Consciousness Science, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Robert Leech
- Centre for Neuroimaging Science, Kings College London, London, UK
| | - Boris Bernhardt
- Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Daniel Margulies
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 7225, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle epiniere, Paris, France
| | | | - Jonathan Smallwood
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK.,Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Groot JM, Boayue NM, Csifcsák G, Boekel W, Huster R, Forstmann BU, Mittner M. Probing the neural signature of mind wandering with simultaneous fMRI-EEG and pupillometry. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117412. [PMID: 33011417 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mind wandering reflects the shift in attentional focus from task-related cognition driven by external stimuli toward self-generated and internally-oriented thought processes. Although such task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) are pervasive and detrimental to task performance, their underlying neural mechanisms are only modestly understood. To investigate TUTs with high spatial and temporal precision, we simultaneously measured fMRI, EEG, and pupillometry in healthy adults while they performed a sustained attention task with experience sampling probes. Features of interest were extracted from each modality at the single-trial level and fed to a support vector machine that was trained on the probe responses. Compared to task-focused attention, the neural signature of TUTs was characterized by weaker activity in the default mode network but elevated activity in its anticorrelated network, stronger functional coupling between these networks, widespread increase in alpha, theta, delta, but not beta, frequency power, predominantly reduced amplitudes of late, but not early, event-related potentials, and larger baseline pupil size. Particularly, information contained in dynamic interactions between large-scale cortical networks was predictive of transient changes in attentional focus above other modalities. Together, our results provide insight into the spatiotemporal dynamics of TUTs and the neural markers that may facilitate their detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine M Groot
- Department of Psychology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway; Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NK Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nya M Boayue
- Department of Psychology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Gábor Csifcsák
- Department of Psychology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway
| | - Wouter Boekel
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - René Huster
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, 0317 Oslo, Norway
| | - Birte U Forstmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1001 NK Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Matthias Mittner
- Department of Psychology, UiT - The Arctic University of Norway, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
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26
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Becker SP, Marsh NP, Holdaway AS, Tamm L. Sluggish cognitive tempo and processing speed in adolescents with ADHD: do findings vary based on informant and task? Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 29:1371-1384. [PMID: 31776764 PMCID: PMC8010585 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-019-01446-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Few studies have examined whether behavioral sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms are related to speeded task performance. Mixed findings in existing research could be due to previous studies using a broad conceptualization of processing speed, not including self-report of SCT symptoms, and relying on non-optimal measures of SCT. Using a multi-informant design with both parent- and adolescent-reported SCT symptoms, the present study provides a preliminary test of the hypothesis that SCT symptoms would be associated with slower performance on tasks having greater graphomotor and fine motor demands. Participants were 80 adolescents (ages 13-17 years; 71% male) with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Adolescents and parents completed ratings of SCT. Adolescents were administered the Wechsler Symbol Search and Coding subtests and the Grooved Pegboard Test. When adjusting for age, sex, and ADHD symptom severity, parent-reported SCT symptoms were not significantly associated with Symbol Search or Coding scores but were significantly associated with slower Grooved Pegboard time. Adolescent-reported SCT symptoms were not significantly associated with Symbol Search but were significantly associated with lower Coding scores and slower Grooved Pegboard time. Findings provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that SCT may be more clearly associated with processing speed task performance as motor demands increase and provide a potential explanation for the mixed literature on SCT in relation to processing speed by demonstrating that the presence and magnitude of associations vary by informant and task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen P. Becker
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Center for ADHD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Nicholas P. Marsh
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Center for ADHD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Alex S. Holdaway
- Roberts Center for Pediatric Research, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Leanne Tamm
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Center for ADHD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA;,Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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Su W, Guo Q, Li Y, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Chen Q. Momentary lapses of attention in multisensory environment. Cortex 2020; 131:195-209. [PMID: 32906014 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Momentary lapses in attention disrupt goal-directed behaviors, and have been associated with increased pre-stimulus activity in the default mode network (DMN). The human brain often encounters multisensory inputs. It remains unknown, however, whether the neural mechanisms underlying attentional lapses are supra-modal or modality-dependent. To answer this question in the present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, we asked participants to respond to either visual or auditory targets in a multisensory paradigm, and focused on the pre-stimulus neural signals underlying attentional lapses, which resulted in impaired task performance, in terms of both delayed RTs and behavioral errors, in different sensory modalities. Behaviorally, mean reaction times (RTs) were equivalent between the visual and auditory modality. At the neural level, increased pre-stimulus neural activity in the majority of the core DMN regions, including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and left angular gyrus (AG), predicted delayed RTs more effectively in the visual than auditory modality. Especially, increased pre-stimulus activity in the mPFC predicted not only delayed RTs but also errors, more effectively in the visual than auditory modality. On the other hand, increased pre-stimulus activity in the anterior precuneus predicted both prolonged RTs and errors more effectively in the auditory than visual modality. Moreover, a supra-modal mechanism was revealed in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG), which belongs to the posterior DMN. Increased pre-stimulus neural activity in the left MTG predicted impaired task performance in both the visual and auditory modality. Taken together, the core DMN regions manifest vision-dependent mechanisms of attentional lapses while a novel region in the anterior precuneus shows audition-dependent mechanisms of attentional lapses. Moreover, left MTG in the posterior DMN manifests a supra-modal mechanism of attentional lapses, independent of the modality of sensory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Su
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Qiang Guo
- Epilepsy Center, Guangdong Sanjiu Brain Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - You Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Kun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Yanni Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China
| | - Qi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, China; School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, China; Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.
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Abstract
Mind-wandering refers to the process of thinking task-unrelated thoughts while performing a task. The dynamics of mind-wandering remain elusive because it is difficult to track when someone’s mind is wandering based only on behavior. The goal of this study is to develop a machine-learning classifier that can determine someone’s mind-wandering state online using electroencephalography (EEG) in a way that generalizes across tasks. In particular, we trained machine-learning models on EEG markers to classify the participants’ current state as either mind-wandering or on-task. To be able to examine the task generality of the classifier, two different paradigms were adopted in this study: a sustained attention to response task (SART) and a visual search task. In both tasks, probe questions asking for a self-report of the thoughts at that moment were inserted at random moments, and participants’ responses to the probes were used to create labels for the classifier. The 6 trials preceding an off-task response were labeled as mind-wandering, whereas the 6 trials predicting an on-task response were labeled as on-task. The EEG markers used as features for the classifier included single-trial P1, N1, and P3, the power and coherence in the theta (4–8 Hz) and alpha (8.5–12 Hz) bands at PO7, Pz, PO8, and Fz. We used a support vector machine as the training algorithm to learn the connection between EEG markers and the current mind-wandering state. We were able to distinguish between on-task and off-task thinking with an accuracy ranging from 0.50 to 0.85. Moreover, the classifiers were task-general: The average accuracy in across-task prediction was 60%, which was above chance level. Among all the extracted EEG markers, alpha power was most predictive of mind-wandering.
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Welhaf MS, Smeekens BA, Meier ME, Silvia PJ, Kwapil TR, Kane MJ. The Worst Performance Rule, or the Not-Best Performance Rule? Latent-Variable Analyses of Working Memory Capacity, Mind-Wandering Propensity, and Reaction Time. J Intell 2020; 8:jintelligence8020025. [PMID: 32498311 PMCID: PMC7713012 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence8020025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The worst performance rule (WPR) is a robust empirical finding reflecting that people's worst task performance shows numerically stronger correlations with cognitive ability than their average or best performance. However, recent meta-analytic work has proposed this be renamed the "not-best performance" rule because mean and worst performance seem to predict cognitive ability to similar degrees, with both predicting ability better than best performance. We re-analyzed data from a previously published latent-variable study to test for worst vs. not-best performance across a variety of reaction time tasks in relation to two cognitive ability constructs: working memory capacity (WMC) and propensity for task-unrelated thought (TUT). Using two methods of assessing worst performance-ranked-binning and ex-Gaussian-modeling approaches-we found evidence for both the worst and not-best performance rules. WMC followed the not-best performance rule (correlating equivalently with mean and longest response times (RTs)) but TUT propensity followed the worst performance rule (correlating more strongly with longest RTs). Additionally, we created a mini-multiverse following different outlier exclusion rules to test the robustness of our findings; our findings remained stable across the different multiverse iterations. We provisionally conclude that the worst performance rule may only arise in relation to cognitive abilities closely linked to (failures of) sustained attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Welhaf
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA; (M.S.W.); (B.A.S.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Bridget A. Smeekens
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA; (M.S.W.); (B.A.S.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Matt E. Meier
- Department of Psychology, Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, NC 28723, USA;
| | - Paul J. Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA; (M.S.W.); (B.A.S.); (P.J.S.)
| | - Thomas R. Kwapil
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL 61820, USA;
| | - Michael J. Kane
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA; (M.S.W.); (B.A.S.); (P.J.S.)
- Correspondence:
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Mind wandering in creative problem-solving: Relationships with divergent thinking and mental health. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0231946. [PMID: 32325483 PMCID: PMC7180068 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0231946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown that mind wandering has both positive and negative effects. Mind wandering may improve creative problem solving; however, it could also lead to negative moods and poor mental health. It has also been shown that some forms of mental illness are positively related to creativity. However, the three factors of mind wandering, divergent thinking, and mental health have not been examined simultaneously, so it is possible that these relationships are manifested by spurious correlations. Therefore, we examined the relations among the three factors while controlling for each of their confounding effects. We asked 865 participants (458 men, 390 women, 17 unknown; Mage = 18.99 years, SD = 1.16) to complete a questionnaire measuring mind wandering traits, divergent thinking, and mental health measures including depressive symptoms and schizotypal personality. Multiple regression analysis showed that people who reported more depressive symptoms, schizotypal personality, and divergent thinking, were more likely to engage in mind-wandering. Our results indicated that frequency of mind wandering was linked to a risk of poorer mental health as well as to higher divergent thinking ability. In future research, we will examine the features of mind wandering related to divergent thinking and mental health by considering the contents of wandering thoughts and whether they are ruminative or not. We also need to examine whether the same results will be found when studying professionals in creative occupations, and when using different scoring methods in divergent thinking tests.
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Hung SH, Mutti Jaswal S, Neil-Sztramko SE, Kam JWY, Niksirat N, C Handy T, Liu-Ambrose T, Lim HJ, Hayden S, Gill S, Campbell KL. A Hypothesis-Generating Study Using Electrophysiology to Examine Cognitive Function in Colon Cancer Patients. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2020; 35:226-232. [PMID: 31711102 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acz051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study was to describe the trajectory of cognitive function using neuropsychological tests and electrophysiological measures in individuals receiving 5FU/oxaliplatin chemotherapy for colon cancer. METHODS A total of 10 participants were tested at baseline (within 3 weeks of starting chemotherapy), 6 months (coinciding with the end of chemotherapy treatment), and 12 months (approximately 6 months post-chemotherapy). Participants completed neuropsychological tests and electrophysiology recordings of P300 event-related potential (ERP) elicited by a sustained attention to response task paired with experience sampling of attentional states (subjective reports of on-task or mind wandering). RESULTS No change in mean neuropsychological test performance was observed. Comparison of mean P300 ERP amplitudes as a function of attentional states (on-task vs. mind wandering) revealed no main effect of attentional state observed at baseline or 6 months, but a significant effect of attention was observed at 12 months, consistent with effects observed in healthy individuals. CONCLUSIONS Future studies can consider sustained attention constructs when studying cognitive function in colon cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley Hughwa Hung
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sumeet Mutti Jaswal
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | | | - Julia W Y Kam
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Negin Niksirat
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Todd C Handy
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Howard J Lim
- Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6, Canada
| | - Sherri Hayden
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Sharlene Gill
- Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, British Columbia V5Z 4E6, Canada
| | - Kristin L Campbell
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Harrison R, Zeidan F, Kitsaras G, Ozcelik D, Salomons TV. Trait Mindfulness Is Associated With Lower Pain Reactivity and Connectivity of the Default Mode Network. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2019; 20:645-654. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2018.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2018] [Revised: 10/26/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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Jaswal SM, Granados Samayoa JA, Kam JWY, Randles D, Heine SJ, Handy TC. The Influence of Acetaminophen on Task Related Attention. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:444. [PMID: 31130842 PMCID: PMC6509963 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Our study was designed to examine whether the pain reliever acetaminophen impacts the normal ebb-and-flow of off-task attentional states, such as captured by the phenomenon of mind wandering. In a placebo-controlled between-groups design, participants performed a sustained attention to response task while event-related potentials (ERPs) to target events were recorded. Participants were queried at random intervals for their attentional reports – either “on-task” or “off-task.” The frequency of these reports and the ERPs generated by the preceding target events were assessed. Behaviorally, the frequency of off-task attentional reports was comparable between groups. Electrophysiologically, two findings emerged: first, the amplitude of the P300 ERP component elicited by target events was significantly attenuated during off-task vs. on-task attentional states in both the acetaminophen and placebo groups. Second, the amplitude of the LPP ERP component elicited by target events showed a significant decrease during off-task attentional states that was specific to the acetaminophen group. Taken together, our findings support the conclusion that acetaminophen doesn’t impact our relative propensity to drift into off-task attentional states, but it does affect the depth of neurocognitive disengagement during off-task attentional states, and in particular, at the level of post-categorization stimulus evaluations indexed by the LPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumeet Mutti Jaswal
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Julia W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Daniel Randles
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Steven J Heine
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Todd C Handy
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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34
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Schubert AL, Frischkorn GT, Rummel J. The validity of the online thought-probing procedure of mind wandering is not threatened by variations of probe rate and probe framing. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2019; 84:1846-1856. [DOI: 10.1007/s00426-019-01194-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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35
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The disentanglement of the neural and experiential complexity of self-generated thoughts: A users guide to combining experience sampling with neuroimaging data. Neuroimage 2019; 192:15-25. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Seli P, Kane MJ, Smallwood J, Schacter DL, Maillet D, Schooler JW, Smilek D. Mind-Wandering as a Natural Kind: A Family-Resemblances View. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 22:479-490. [PMID: 29776466 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
As empirical research on mind-wandering accelerates, we draw attention to an emerging trend in how mind-wandering is conceptualized. Previously articulated definitions of mind-wandering differ from each other in important ways, yet they also maintain overlapping characteristics. This conceptual structure suggests that mind-wandering is best considered from a family-resemblances perspective, which entails treating it as a graded, heterogeneous construct and clearly measuring and describing the specific aspect(s) of mind-wandering that researchers are investigating. We believe that adopting this family-resemblances approach will increase conceptual and methodological connections among related phenomena in the mind-wandering family and encourage a more nuanced and precise understanding of the many varieties of mind-wandering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Seli
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Harvard, MA, USA.
| | - Michael J Kane
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | | | - Daniel L Schacter
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Harvard, MA, USA
| | - David Maillet
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan W Schooler
- Department of Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Daniel Smilek
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Plass J, Choi S, Suzuki S, Grabowecky M. Monitoring prediction errors facilitates cognition in action. J Exp Psychol Gen 2018; 148:1665-1674. [PMID: 30421944 DOI: 10.1037/xge0000519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cognition in action requires strategic allocation of attention between internal processes and the sensory environment. We hypothesized that this resource allocation could be facilitated by mechanisms that predict sensory results of self-generated actions. Sensory signals conforming to predictions would be safely ignored to facilitate focus on internally generated content, whereas those violating predictions would draw attention for additional scrutiny. During a visual-verbal serial digit-recall task, we varied the temporal relationship between task-irrelevant keypresses and auditory distractors so that the distractors were either temporally coupled or decoupled with keypresses. Consistent with our hypothesis, distractors were more likely to interfere with target maintenance and intrude into working memory when they were decoupled from keypresses, thereby violating action-based sensory predictions. Interference was maximal when sounds preceded keypresses, suggesting that stimuli were most distracting when their timing was inconsistent with expected action-sensation contingencies. In a follow-up experiment, neither auditory nor visual cues to distractor timing produced similar effects, suggesting a unique action-based mechanism. These results suggest that action-based sensory predictions are used to dynamically optimize attentional allocation during cognition in action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- John Plass
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
| | - Simon Choi
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University
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Denkova E, Brudner EG, Zayan K, Dunn J, Jha AP. Attenuated Face Processing during Mind Wandering. J Cogn Neurosci 2018; 30:1691-1703. [DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Mind wandering (MW) has been recently investigated in many studies. It has been suggested that, during MW, processing of perceptual stimuli is attenuated in favor of internal thoughts, a phenomenon referred to as perceptual decoupling. Perceptual decoupling has been investigated in ERP studies, which have used relatively simple perceptual stimuli, yet it remains unclear if MW can impact the perceptual processing of complex stimuli with real-world relevance. Here, we investigated the impact of MW on behavioral and neural responses to faces. Thirty-six participants completed a novel sustained attention to response task with faces. They were asked to respond to upright faces (nontargets) and withhold responses to inverted faces (targets) and to report intermittently if they were “On task” or “Off task.” Behavioral analyses revealed greater intraindividual coefficient of variation for nontarget faces preceding Off task versus On task. ERP analyses focused primarily on the N170 component associated with face processing but also included the P1 and P3 components. The results revealed attenuated amplitudes to nontarget faces preceding Off task versus On task for the N170, but not for the P3 or P1. These findings suggest decoupled visual processing of faces during MW, which has implications for social neuroscience research.
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Villena-González M, Palacios-García I, Rodríguez E, López V. Beta Oscillations Distinguish Between Two Forms of Mental Imagery While Gamma and Theta Activity Reflects Auditory Attention. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:389. [PMID: 30337865 PMCID: PMC6178143 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual sensory processing of external events decreases when attention is internally oriented toward self-generated thoughts and also differences in attenuation have been shown depending on the thought’s modality (visual or auditory thought). The present study aims to assess whether such modulations occurs also in auditory modality. In order to investigate auditory sensory modulations, we compared a passive listening condition with two conditions in which attention was internally oriented as a part of a task; a visual imagery condition and an inner speech condition. EEG signal was recorded from 20 participants while they were exposed to auditory probes during these three conditions. ERP results showed no differences in N1 auditory response comparing the three conditions reflecting maintenance of evoked electrophysiological reactivity for auditory modality. Nonetheless, time-frequency analyses showed that gamma and theta power in frontal regions was higher for passive listening than for internal attentional conditions. Specifically, the reduced amplitude in early gamma and theta band during both inward attention conditions may reflect reduced conscious attention of the current auditory stimulation. Finally, different pattern of beta band activity was observed only during visual imagery which can reflect cross-modal integration between visual and auditory modalities and it can distinguish this form of mental imagery from the inner speech. Taken together, these results showed that attentional suppression mechanisms in auditory modality are different from visual modality during mental imagery processes. Our results about oscillatory activity also confirm the important role of gamma oscillations in auditory processing and the differential neural dynamics underlying the visual and auditory/verbal imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Villena-González
- Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Neurociencia Cognitiva y Social, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile
| | - Ismael Palacios-García
- Laboratorio de Neurodinámica, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Eugenio Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Neurodinámica, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Vladimir López
- Laboratorio de Psicología Experimental, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.,Laboratorio de Neurodinámica, Escuela de Psicología, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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Systematic comparison between a wireless EEG system with dry electrodes and a wired EEG system with wet electrodes. Neuroimage 2018; 184:119-129. [PMID: 30218769 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 08/30/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in dry electrodes technology have facilitated the recording of EEG in situations not previously possible, thanks to the relatively swift electrode preparation and avoidance of applying gel to subject's hair. However, to become a true alternative, these systems should be compared to state-of-the-art wet EEG systems commonly used in clinical or research applications. In our study, we conducted a systematic comparison of electrodes application speed, subject comfort, and most critically electrophysiological signal quality between the conventional and wired Biosemi EEG system using wet active electrodes and the compact and wireless F1 EEG system consisting of dry passive electrodes. All subjects (n = 27) participated in two recording sessions on separate days, one with the wet EEG system and one with the dry EEG system, in which the session order was counterbalanced across subjects. In each session, we recorded their EEG during separate rest periods with eyes open and closed followed by two versions of a serial visual presentation target detection task. Each task component allows for a neural measure reflecting different characteristics of the data, including spectral power in canonical low frequency bands, event-related potential components (specifically, the P3b), and single trial classification based on machine learning. The performance across the two systems was similar in most measures, including the P3b amplitude and topography, as well as low frequency (theta, alpha, and beta) spectral power at rest. Both EEG systems performed well above chance in the classification analysis, with a marginal advantage of the wet system over the dry. Critically, all aforementioned electrophysiological metrics showed significant positive correlations (r = 0.54-0.89) between the two EEG systems. This multitude of measures provides a comprehensive comparison that captures different aspects of EEG data, including temporal precision, frequency domain as well as multivariate patterns of activity. Taken together, our results indicate that the dry EEG system used in this experiment can effectively record electrophysiological measures commonly used across the research and clinical contexts with comparable quality to the conventional wet EEG system.
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Michael GA, Tapiero I, Gálvez-García G, Jacquot L. Thoughts and sensations, twin galaxies of the inner space: The propensity to mind-wander relates to spontaneous sensations arising on the hands. Conscious Cogn 2017; 55:223-231. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2017] [Revised: 08/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gil-Jardiné C, Née M, Lagarde E, Schooler J, Contrand B, Orriols L, Galera C. The distracted mind on the wheel: Overall propensity to mind wandering is associated with road crash responsibility. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0181327. [PMID: 28771623 PMCID: PMC5542598 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of distractions on attentional lapses that place road users in higher risk of crash remains poorly understood. We aimed to assess the respective impact of (i) mind wandering trait (propensity to mind wander in the everyday life as measured with a set of 4 questions on the proportion of time spent mind wandering in 4 different situations) and (ii) mind wandering state (disturbing thoughts just before the crash) on road crash risk using a comparison between responsible and non-responsible drivers. 954 drivers injured in a road crash were interviewed at the adult emergency department of the Bordeaux university hospital in France (2013–2015). Responsibility for the crash, mind wandering (trait/state), external distraction, alcohol use, psychotropic drug use, and sleep deprivation were evaluated. Based on questionnaire reports, 39% of respondents were classified with a mind wandering trait and 13% reported a disturbing thought just before the crash. While strongly correlated, mind wandering state and trait were independently associated with responsibility for a traffic crash (State: OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.64–3.83 and Trait: OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.22–2.16 respectively). Self-report of distracting thoughts therefore did not capture the entire risk associated with the propensity of the mind to wander, either because of under-reported thoughts and/or other deleterious mechanisms to be further explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cédric Gil-Jardiné
- University Hospital of Bordeaux, Pellegrin Hospital, Emergency Department, Bordeaux, France
- INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Equipe Prévention et prise en charge des traumatismes, Bordeaux, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Mélanie Née
- INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Equipe Prévention et prise en charge des traumatismes, Bordeaux, France
| | - Emmanuel Lagarde
- INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Equipe Prévention et prise en charge des traumatismes, Bordeaux, France
| | - Jonathan Schooler
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Benjamin Contrand
- INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Equipe Prévention et prise en charge des traumatismes, Bordeaux, France
| | - Ludivine Orriols
- INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Equipe Prévention et prise en charge des traumatismes, Bordeaux, France
| | - Cédric Galera
- INSERM, ISPED, Centre INSERM U1219-Epidemiologie-Biostatistique, Equipe Prévention et prise en charge des traumatismes, Bordeaux, France
- University of Bordeaux, Charles Perrens Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bordeaux, France
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Fox KC, Andrews-Hanna JR, Christoff K. The neurobiology of self-generated thought from cells to systems: Integrating evidence from lesion studies, human intracranial electrophysiology, neurochemistry, and neuroendocrinology. Neuroscience 2016; 335:134-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2016.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2016] [Revised: 08/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Konishi M, Smallwood J. Shadowing the wandering mind: how understanding the mind-wandering state can inform our appreciation of conscious experience. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2016; 7:233-46. [PMID: 27187212 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2015] [Revised: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 04/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The mind-wandering state illustrates two fundamental aspects of consciousness: its generative nature, which is reflected by the stimulus-independent content of thought that occurs when our minds wander; and metacognition, the unique capacity of the mind to reflect and understand itself. Self-generated thought, which allows us to consider people and events that are not present in the immediate environment, and metacognition, allowing us to introspect and report our inner experiences, are both essential to the scientific study of mind-wandering. Nevertheless, they also inevitably lead to specific issues that mirror more general problems in the field of consciousness research. The generative nature of consciousness makes it difficult to have direct control on the phenomenon, and the act of introspecting on inner experience has the potential to influence the state itself. We illustrate how the field of mind-wandering research can overcome these problems. Its generative nature can be understood by triangulating the objective measures (such as neural function) with subjective measures of experience and it can be manipulated indirectly by varying the demands of the external environment. Furthermore, we describe candidate covert markers for the mind-wandering state, which allow the phenomenon to be observed without direct interference, minimizing the concern that instructions to introspect necessarily change conscious experience. WIREs Cogn Sci 2016, 7:233-246. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1392 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahiko Konishi
- Department of Psychology, The University of York, Heslington, UK
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Randles D, Kam JWY, Heine SJ, Inzlicht M, Handy TC. Acetaminophen attenuates error evaluation in cortex. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:899-906. [PMID: 26892161 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Acetaminophen has recently been recognized as having impacts that extend into the affective domain. In particular, double blind placebo controlled trials have revealed that acetaminophen reduces the magnitude of reactivity to social rejection, frustration, dissonance and to both negatively and positively valenced attitude objects. Given this diversity of consequences, it has been proposed that the psychological effects of acetaminophen may reflect a widespread blunting of evaluative processing. We tested this hypothesis using event-related potentials (ERPs). Sixty-two participants received acetaminophen or a placebo in a double-blind protocol and completed the Go/NoGo task. Participants' ERPs were observed following errors on the Go/NoGo task, in particular the error-related negativity (ERN; measured at FCz) and error-related positivity (Pe; measured at Pz and CPz). Results show that acetaminophen inhibits the Pe, but not the ERN, and the magnitude of an individual's Pe correlates positively with omission errors, partially mediating the effects of acetaminophen on the error rate. These results suggest that recently documented affective blunting caused by acetaminophen may best be described as an inhibition of evaluative processing. They also contribute to the growing work suggesting that the Pe is more strongly associated with conscious awareness of errors relative to the ERN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Randles
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada,
| | - Julia W Y Kam
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA, and
| | - Steven J Heine
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Michael Inzlicht
- Department of Psychology, The University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Todd C Handy
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Cognitive Performance and Mood Following Ingestion of a Theacrine-Containing Dietary Supplement, Caffeine, or Placebo by Young Men and Women. Nutrients 2015; 7:9618-32. [PMID: 26610558 PMCID: PMC4663612 DOI: 10.3390/nu7115484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Revised: 11/05/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Theacrine is a purine alkaloid found primarily in the leaves of the Camellia Kucha plant and is now included within dietary supplements. To compare the effects of a theacrine-containing dietary supplement with caffeine and placebo on energy and mood, as well as objective measures of cognitive performance, heart rate, and blood pressure, 10 healthy men (20.8 ± 0.7 years) and 10 healthy women (22.2 ± 1.1 years) ingested the dietary supplement TheaTrim (Purus Labs; containing a branded form of theacrine (Teacrine™) and caffeine (150 mg)), caffeine only (150 mg), or a placebo on three different days, separated by approximately one week. Before, and for up to 4 h following, ingestion of the assigned condition, subjects completed a subjective assessment of energy and mood, as well as tests of cognitive performance (trail making test (TMT), digit symbol substitution test (DSST)), and reaction time. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured. No condition or interaction effects were noted for TMT, DSST, or reaction time, despite a trend for improvement in selected variables with both TheaTrim and caffeine treatment. Condition effects or trends were noted for subjective feelings, with values for attentive, alert, focused, and energetic higher for TheaTrim than for placebo and caffeine, while values for lethargic and groggy were lower for TheaTrim than for placebo and caffeine. Heart rate and blood pressure were largely unaffected by treatment. These data indicate that TheaTrim treatment does not result in a statistically significant improvement in cognitive performance but may favorably impact multiple subjective feelings related to energy and mood.
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Kemmer PB, Guo Y, Wang Y, Pagnoni G. Network-based characterization of brain functional connectivity in Zen practitioners. Front Psychol 2015; 6:603. [PMID: 26029141 PMCID: PMC4428224 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, a number of neuroimaging studies have investigated the neurophysiological effects associated with contemplative practices. Meditation-related changes in resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) have been previously reported, particularly in the default mode network, frontoparietal attentional circuits, saliency-related regions, and primary sensory cortices. We collected functional magnetic resonance imaging data from a sample of 12 experienced Zen meditators and 12 meditation-naïve matched controls during a basic attention-to-breathing protocol, together with behavioral performance outside the scanner on a set of computerized neuropsychological tests. We adopted a network system of 209 nodes, classified into nine functional modules, and a multi-stage approach to identify rsFC differences in meditators and controls. Between-group comparisons of modulewise FC, summarized by the first principal component of the relevant set of edges, revealed important connections of frontoparietal circuits with early visual and executive control areas. We also identified several group differences in positive and negative edgewise FC, often involving the visual, or frontoparietal regions. Multivariate pattern analysis of modulewise FC, using support vector machine (SVM), classified meditators, and controls with 79% accuracy and selected 10 modulewise connections that were jointly prominent in distinguishing meditators and controls; a similar SVM procedure based on the subjects’ scores on the neuropsychological battery yielded a slightly weaker accuracy (75%). Finally, we observed a good correlation between the across-subject variation in strength of modulewise connections among frontoparietal, executive, and visual circuits, on the one hand, and in the performance on a rapid visual information processing test of sustained attention, on the other. Taken together, these findings highlight the usefulness of employing network analysis techniques in investigating the neural correlates of contemplative practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phebe B Kemmer
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, The Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Ying Guo
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, The Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yikai Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, The Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Giuseppe Pagnoni
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Modena, Italy
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Sustained attention abnormalities in breast cancer survivors with cognitive deficits post chemotherapy: An electrophysiological study. Clin Neurophysiol 2015; 127:369-378. [PMID: 25868929 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Revised: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many breast cancer survivors (BCS) report cognitive problems following chemotherapy, yet controversy remains concerning which cognitive domains are affected. This study investigated a domain crucial to daily function: the ability to maintain attention over time. METHODS We examined whether BCS who self-reported cognitive problems up to 3 years following cancer treatment (n=19) performed differently from healthy controls (HC, n=12) in a task that required sustained attention. Participants performed a target detection task while periodically being asked to report their attentional state. Electroencephalogram was recorded during this task and at rest. RESULTS BCS were less likely to maintain sustained attention during the task compared to HC. Further, the P3 event-related potential component elicited by visual targets during the task was smaller in BCS relative to HC. BCS also displayed greater neural activity at rest. CONCLUSIONS BCS demonstrated an abnormal pattern of sustained attention and resource allocation compared to HC, suggesting that attentional deficits can be objectively observed in breast cancer survivors who self-report concentration problems. SIGNIFICANCE These data underscore the value of EEG combined with a less traditional measure of sustained attention, or attentional states, as objective laboratory tools that are sensitive to subjective complaints of chemotherapy-related attentional impairments.
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Kam JWY, Mickleborough MJS, Eades C, Handy TC. Migraine and attention to visual events during mind wandering. Exp Brain Res 2015; 233:1503-10. [PMID: 25700669 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-015-4224-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2014] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Although migraine is traditionally categorized as a primary headache disorder, the condition is also associated with abnormalities in visual attentional function in between headache events. Namely, relative to controls, migraineurs show both a heightened sensitivity to nominally unattended visual events, as well as decreased habituation responses at sensory and post-sensory (cognitive) levels. Here we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine whether cortical hypersensitivities in migraineurs extend to mind wandering, or periods of time wherein we transiently attenuate the processing of external stimulus inputs as our thoughts drift away from the on-going task at hand. Participants performed a sustained attention to response task while they were occasionally queried as to their attentional state-either "on-task" or "mind wandering." We then analyzed the ERP responses to task-relevant stimuli as a function of whether they immediately preceded an on-task versus mind wandering report. We found that despite the commonly reported heightened visual sensitivities in our migraine group, they nevertheless manifest a reduced cognitive response during periods of mind wandering relative to on-task attentional states, as measured via amplitude changes in the P3 ERP component. This suggests that our capacity to attenuate the processing of external stimulus inputs during mind wandering is not necessarily impaired by the class of cortical hypersensitivities characteristic of the interictal migraine brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, Canada,
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Jha AP, Morrison AB, Dainer-Best J, Parker S, Rostrup N, Stanley EA. Minds "at attention": mindfulness training curbs attentional lapses in military cohorts. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0116889. [PMID: 25671579 PMCID: PMC4324839 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2014] [Accepted: 12/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated the impact of mindfulness training (MT) on attentional performance lapses associated with task-unrelated thought (i.e., mind wandering). Periods of persistent and intensive demands may compromise attention and increase off-task thinking. Here, we investigated if MT may mitigate these deleterious effects and promote cognitive resilience in military cohorts enduring a high-demand interval of predeployment training. To better understand which aspects of MT programs are most beneficial, three military cohorts were examined. Two of the three groups were provided MT. One group received an 8-hour, 8-week variant of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT) emphasizing engagement in training exercises (training-focused MT, n = 40), a second group received a didactic-focused variant emphasizing content regarding stress and resilience (didactic-focused MT, n = 40), and the third group served as a no-training control (NTC, n = 24). Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) performance was indexed in all military groups and a no-training civilian group (CIV, n = 45) before (T1) and after (T2) the MT course period. Attentional performance (measured by A’, a sensitivity index) was lower in NTC vs. CIV at T2, suggesting that performance suffers after enduring a high-demand predeployment interval relative to a similar time period of civilian life. Yet, there were significantly fewer performance lapses in the military cohorts receiving MT relative to NTC, with training-focused MT outperforming didactic-focused MT at T2. From T1 to T2, A’ degraded in NTC and didactic-focused MT but remained stable in training-focused MT and CIV. In sum, while protracted periods of high-demand military training may increase attentional performance lapses, practice-focused MT programs akin to training-focused MT may bolster attentional performance more than didactic-focused programs. As such, training-focused MT programs should be further examined in cohorts experiencing protracted high-demand intervals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amishi P. Jha
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexandra B. Morrison
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Justin Dainer-Best
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Suzanne Parker
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Nina Rostrup
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth A. Stanley
- Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America
- Mind Fitness Training Institute, Alexandria, Virginia, United States of America
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