Abstract
We investigated the relationship between attentional resources and pedaling cadence using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure P300 amplitudes and latencies. Twenty-five healthy volunteers performed the oddball task while pedaling on a stationary bike or relaxing (i.e., no pedaling). We set them four conditions, namely, (1) performing only the oddball task (i.e., control), (2) performing the oddball task while pedaling at optimal cadence (i.e., optimal), (3) performing the oddball task while pedaling faster than optimal cadence (i.e., fast), and (4) performing the oddball task while pedaling slower than optimal cadence (i.e., slow). P300 amplitudes at Cz and Pz electrodes under optimal, fast, and slow conditions were significantly lower than those under control conditions. P300 amplitudes at Pz under fast and slow conditions were significantly lower than those under the optimal condition. No significant changes in P300 latency at any electrode were observed under any condition. Our findings revealed that pedaling at non-optimal cadence results in less attention being paid to external stimuli compared with pedaling at optimal cadence.
Highlights
Humans experience situations that require the execution of multiple tasks simultaneously
Post-hoc tests revealed that P300 amplitude at Fz decreased under fast and slow conditions compared with that under the control condition
The results showed that (1) P300 amplitudes elicited by target stimuli decreased under optimal, fast, and slow conditions relative to the control condition at Cz and Pz, (2) P300 amplitudes elicited by target stimuli decreased under fast and slow conditions compared with that under the optimal condition at Pz, and (3) P300 amplitudes elicited by target stimuli were not significantly different between fast and slow conditions at Fz, Cz, and Pz
Summary
Humans experience situations that require the execution of multiple tasks simultaneously. Dual tasks, where individuals perform two tasks simultaneously, degrade the performance (Al-Yahya et al, 2011; Tomporowski and Audiffren, 2014). Simultaneous performance of a cognitive and a motor task is relevant in daily life. A good example includes using a smartphone while walking or driving. They increase the risk of falls and traffic accidents (Strayer and Johnston, 2001). Attentional resources are defined as the amount of attention available to perform motor or cognitive tasks. When humans simultaneously perform two or more tasks, resources will be shared among tasks. Simultaneous performance of a cognitive and a motor task results in deterioration of performance in one or both tasks
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