Abstract
Dividing attention across two tasks performed simultaneously usually results in impaired performance on one or both tasks. Most studies have found no difference in the dual-task cost of dividing attention in rested and sleep-deprived states. We hypothesized that, for a divided attention task that is highly cognitively-demanding, performance would show greater impairment during exposure to sleep deprivation. A group of 30 healthy males aged 21–30 years was exposed to 40 h of continuous wakefulness in a laboratory setting. Every 2 h, subjects completed a divided attention task comprising 3 blocks in which an auditory Go/No-Go task was 1) performed alone (single task); 2) performed simultaneously with a visual Go/No-Go task (dual task); and 3) performed simultaneously with both a visual Go/No-Go task and a visually-guided motor tracking task (triple task). Performance on all tasks showed substantial deterioration during exposure to sleep deprivation. A significant interaction was observed between task load and time since wake on auditory Go/No-Go task performance, with greater impairment in response times and accuracy during extended wakefulness. Our results suggest that the ability to divide attention between multiple tasks is impaired during exposure to sleep deprivation. These findings have potential implications for occupations that require multi-tasking combined with long work hours and exposure to sleep loss.
Highlights
Exposure to sleep deprivation impairs attention on simple tasks and increases distractibility [1,2,3]
A significant interaction was observed between task load and time since wake on auditory Go/No-Go (aGNG) response times (F34,986 = 2.00, P < 0.001), in which the impairing effects of increasing task load were greater during exposure to sleep deprivation (Fig 1A and 1B)
Comparable results were obtained for response errors on the aGNG task (Fig 1C and 1D), in which increasing task load resulted in more errors only after subjects were kept awake beyond their usual bedtime (F34,986 = 1.76, P = 0.005 for the interaction; Tukey’s Honestly Significant Difference (HSD), P < 0.05 at 17 h, 19 h, 23 h, 25 h, 29 h, 31 h, 33 h, 35 h, and 37 h after wake-up time)
Summary
Exposure to sleep deprivation impairs attention on simple tasks and increases distractibility [1,2,3]. When more than one task is executed simultaneously, performance on one or both tasks is usually impaired [4]. This occurs because limited cognitive resources must be divided, resulting in mutual interference between tasks. The limits of attentional capacity are thought to vary with arousal level, with exposure to sleep deprivation resulting in greater difficulty in sustaining performance and effort [5]. Sleepy subjects can perform at normal levels when highly motivated, but this can give way to attentional lapses as homeostatic pressure to fall asleep competes with effort to remain awake [6]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
