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Gallegos C, Ramírez C, García A, Borrani J, Valdez P. Total sleep deprivation effects on the attentional blink. Exp Brain Res 2024; 242:1361-1372. [PMID: 38563978 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-024-06826-7] [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: 05/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The Attentional Blink (AB) is a phenomenon that reflects difficulty in detecting or identifying the second of two successive targets (T1 and T2) that are presented in rapid succession, between 200-500ms apart. The AB involves indicators of attentional and temporal integration mechanisms related to the early stages of visual processing. The aim of this study was to identify the effects of 24-h of sleep deprivation (total sleep deprivation, TSD) on the attentional and temporal integration mechanisms of the AB. Twenty-two undergraduate students were recorded during five successive days, in these three conditions: baseline (two days), TSD (one day), and recovery (two days). Each day, at around 12:00 h, participants responded to a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation task (RSVP) that presented two targets separated by random intervals from 100 to 1000ms. The attentional mechanisms were assessed by the AB presence, the AB magnitude, and the AB interval, while the temporal integration mechanisms were evaluated by lag-1 sparing and order reversal responses. TSD negatively affected the attentional mechanisms, which is expressed by an overall reduction in performance, an extended AB interval, and a reduced AB magnitude. TSD also negatively affected the temporal integration mechanisms, manifested by an absence of lag-1 sparing and an increase in order reversals. These results suggest that people are still able to respond to two successive stimuli after 24 h without sleep. However, it becomes more difficult to respond to both stimuli because the attentional and temporal integration mechanisms of the AB are impaired.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gallegos
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México.
| | - Candelaria Ramírez
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Aída García
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Jorge Borrani
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
| | - Pablo Valdez
- Laboratory of Psychophysiology, School of Psychology, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Monterrey, Nuevo León, México
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It's time for attentional control: Temporal expectation in the attentional blink. Conscious Cogn 2023; 107:103461. [PMID: 36584439 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2022.103461] [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: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) reveals a limitation in conscious processing of sequential targets. Although it is widely held that the AB derives from a structural bottleneck of central capacity, how the central processing is constrained is still unclear. As the AB reflects the dilemma of deploying attentional resources in the time dimension, research on temporal allocation provides an important avenue for understanding the mechanism. Here we reviewed studies regarding the role of temporal expectation in modulating the AB performance primarily based on two temporal processing strategies: interval-based and rhythm-based timings. We showed that both temporal expectations can help to organize limited resources among multiple attentional episodes, thereby mitigating the AB effect. As it turns out, scrutinizing on the AB from a temporal perspective is a promising way to comprehend the mechanisms behind the AB and conscious cognition. We also highlighted some unresolved issues and discussed potential directions for future research.
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Black SC, Bender AD, Whitney SJ, Loft S, Visser TAW. The effect of multi‐tasking training on performance, situation awareness, and workload in simulated air traffic control. APPLIED COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/acp.3977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Angela D. Bender
- University of Western Australia Perth Australia
- Department of Defence Defence Science and Technology Group Edinburgh Australia
| | - Susannah J. Whitney
- Department of Defence Defence Science and Technology Group Edinburgh Australia
| | - Shayne Loft
- University of Western Australia Perth Australia
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Wang J, Luo Y, Aleman A, Martens S. Training the attentional blink: subclinical depression decreases learning potential. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2021; 86:1980-1995. [PMID: 34674013 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01603-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The attentional blink (AB) reflects a temporal restriction of selective attention and is generally regarded as a very robust phenomenon. However, previous studies have found large individual differences in AB performance, and under some training conditions the AB can be reduced significantly. One factor that may account for individual differences in AB magnitude is the ability to accurately time attention. In the current study, we focus on the sensitivity for temporal information on the ability to control attention. Following a visual AB task, a time estimation task was presented in either the visual or auditory modality, followed by another visual AB task. It was found that the time estimation training in both the auditory and visual modality reduced AB magnitude. Although a reduction in AB magnitude was also observed when individuals were trained on a control task (either an auditory frequency or visual line length estimation task), the effect was significantly larger following the time estimation tasks. In addition, it was found that individuals who showed most improvement on the visual time estimation task, also showed the largest reduction in AB magnitude, which was not the case for individuals who were trained on the control tasks. Finally, a negative correlation was observed between depression scores (tested by Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form (BDI-SF) scores and the improvement in the AB and time estimation tasks. Our findings demonstrate clear links between timing ability and mechanisms to control attention and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Wang
- 1Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China.,Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Yuejia Luo
- 1Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China. .,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518060, China. .,The Research Center of Brain Science and Visual Cognition, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, 650504, China. .,College of Teacher Education, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, China.
| | - Andre Aleman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University, 3688 Nanhai Ave., Nanshan District, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Sander Martens
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells and Systems, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.,Cognitive Neuroscience Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Paying attention to speech: The role of working memory capacity and professional experience. Atten Percept Psychophys 2020; 82:3594-3605. [PMID: 32676806 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-020-02091-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Managing attention in multispeaker environments is a challenging feat that is critical for human performance. However, why some people are better than others in allocating attention appropriately remains highly unknown. Here, we investigated the contribution of two factors-working memory capacity (WMC) and professional experience-to performance on two different types of attention task: selective attention to one speaker and distributed attention among multiple concurrent speakers. We compared performance across three groups: individuals with low (n = 20) and high (n = 25) WMC, and aircraft pilots (n = 24), whose profession poses extremely high demands for both selective and distributed attention to speech. Results suggests that selective attention is highly effective, with good performance maintained under increasingly adverse conditions, whereas performance decreases substantially with the requirement to distribute attention among a larger number of speakers. Importantly, both types of attention benefit from higher WMC, suggesting reliance on some common capacity-limited resources. However, only selective attention was further improved in the pilots, pointing to its flexible and trainable nature, whereas distributed attention seems to suffer from more fixed and severe processing bottlenecks.
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Ross B, Lopez MD. 40-Hz Binaural beats enhance training to mitigate the attentional blink. Sci Rep 2020; 10:7002. [PMID: 32332827 PMCID: PMC7181825 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63980-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated whether binaural beat stimulation could accelerate the training outcome in an attentional blink (AB) task. The AB refers to the lapse in detecting a target T2 in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) after the identification of a preceding target T1. Binaural beats (BB) are assumed to entrain neural oscillations and support cognitive function. Participants were assigned into two groups and presented with BB sounds while performing the AB task on three subsequent days in a cross-over design. Group A was presented with 40-Hz BB during the first day and 16 Hz during the second day, while the order of beat frequencies was reversed in Group B. No sound was presented on the third day. MEG recordings confirmed a strong entrainment of gamma oscillations during 40-Hz BB stimulation and smaller gamma entrainment with 16-Hz BB. The rhythm of the visual stimulation elicited 10-Hz oscillations in occipital MEG sensors which were of similar magnitude for both BB frequencies. The AB performance did not increase within a session. However, participants improved between sessions, with overall improvement equal in both groups. Group A improved more after the first day than the second day. In contrast, group B gained more from the 40 Hz stimulation on the second day than from 16-Hz stimulation on the first day. Taken together, 40-Hz BB stimulation during training accelerates the training outcome. The improvement becomes evident not immediately, but after consolidation during sleep. Therefore, auditory beats stimulation is a promising method of non-invasive brain stimulation for enhancing training and learning which is well-suited to rehabilitation training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Ross
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada. .,Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5G 2M9, Canada.
| | - Marc Danzell Lopez
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Toronto, Ontario, M6A 2E1, Canada.,Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Toronto, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
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Gallegos C, García A, Ramírez C, Borrani J, Azevedo CVM, Valdez P. Circadian and homeostatic modulation of the attentional blink. Chronobiol Int 2018; 36:343-352. [PMID: 30488723 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2018.1543315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
An important property of attention is the limitation to process new information after responding to a stimulus. This property of attention can be evaluated by the Attentional Blink (AB), a phenomenon that consists of a failure to detect the second of two targets when the interval between them is 200-500 ms. The aim of the present work is to determine the possible existence of time awake (homeostatic changes) and time of day (circadian rhythm) variations in the AB. Eighteen undergraduate students, 11 men and 7 women, age = 18.06 ± 1.16 years, participated voluntarily in this research. They were recorded in a constant routine protocol during 29 h, in which rectal temperature was recorded every minute, while subjective sleepiness and responses to a Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) task, to measure the AB, were recorded every hour. Homeostatic and circadian variations in all parameters of the RSVP task were observed, including changes in the capacity to process a new stimulus (Target 1 accuracy), a second stimulus occurring in a short interval after the first (Target 2 accuracy at lag 2, 200 ms) and to process another successive independent stimulus (Target 2 accuracy at lag 8, 800 ms). The acrophase of these parameters occurred with a phase delay of 2 h compared to the circadian rhythm of rectal temperature. The AB magnitude, an index of the AB, showed a decline with time awake, but no variations with time of day. In conclusion, there are homeostatic and circadian variations in the capacity to process any incoming information, especially in tasks with brief duration stimuli presented at a high frequency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gallegos
- a Laboratorio de Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León , Monterrey, NL , México
| | - Aída García
- a Laboratorio de Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León , Monterrey, NL , México
| | - Candelaria Ramírez
- a Laboratorio de Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León , Monterrey, NL , México
| | - Jorge Borrani
- a Laboratorio de Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León , Monterrey, NL , México
| | - Carolina V M Azevedo
- b Laboratorio de Cronobiologia, Departamento de Fisiologia , Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte , Natal, RN , Brazil
| | - Pablo Valdez
- a Laboratorio de Psicofisiología, Facultad de Psicología , Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León , Monterrey, NL , México
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