How to refocus attention on working memory representations following interruptions—Evidence from frontal theta and posterior alpha oscillations

Abstract

Interruptions lead to a deterioration of primary task performance. Applied research usually describes a delay in primary task resumption as an essential component of this performance deficit. Here, we investigate this approach using electrophysiological correlates of the focusing of attention within working memory, a process that is fundamental to switching between different tasks. A lateralized working memory task was frequently interrupted by either a high- or low-demanding arithmetic task and a subsequent retrospective cue indicated the working memory item required for later report. The detrimental effect of interruptions on primary task performance was most pronounced for high-demanding interruptions. After retro-cue presentation, fronto-central theta power (4-7Hz) was lowest following high-demanding interruptions and posterior alpha power (8-14 Hz) was less suppressed in the two interruption conditions. These effects might be related to a deficit in attentional control processes following the retrospective cue. Furthermore, we introduce the suppression of posterior alpha power contralateral to the remembered primary task stimuli during the interruption phase as a temporal marker for primary task resumption. Especially for cognitively demanding interruption tasks, this effect seems to overlap in time with the processing of the interruption, which should contribute to the primary task performance deficit.