Reaction Time Measures Research Articles

ADHD-related sex differences in frontal lobe white matter microstructure and associations with response control under conditions of varying cognitive load and motivational contingencies.

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) demonstrate reduced response inhibition, increased response time variability, and atypical frontal lobe white matter microstructure with emerging evidence of sex differences. This study aims to examine whether frontal lobe white matter microstructure is differentially impacted in ADHD by sex and whether this relates to Go/No-Go (GNG) task performance. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) from 187 children (8-12 years), including ADHD (n = 94) and typically developing controls (TD; n = 93). Participants completed three GNG tasks with varying cognitive demands and incentives (standard, cognitive, and motivational). Fractional anisotropy (FA) was examined as an index of white matter microstructure within bilateral frontal lobe regions of interest. Children with ADHD showed reduced FA in primary motor (M1) and supplementary motor area (SMA) regardless of sex. Sex-based dissociation for the effect of diagnosis was observed in medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC), with higher FA in girls with ADHD and lower FA in boys with ADHD. Both diagnosis and sex contributed to performance on measures of response inhibition and reaction time (RT) variability, with all children with ADHD demonstrating poorer performance on all GNG tasks, but boys with ADHD demonstrating more impulsivity on standard and motivational behavioral paradigms compared to girls with ADHD. Analyses revealed associations between reduced FA in M1, SMA, and mOFC and increased response inhibition and RT variability with some sex-based differences. These findings provide novel insights regarding the brain basis of ADHD and associated impairments in response inhibition and RT variability, and contribute to our understanding of sexual dimorphic behavioral outcomes.

Measuring Human Perception to Improve Open Set Recognition.

The human ability to recognize when an object belongs or does not belong to a particular vision task outperforms all open set recognition algorithms. Human perception as measured by the methods and procedures of visual psychophysics from psychology provides an additional data stream for algorithms that need to manage novelty. For instance, measured reaction time from human subjects can offer insight as to whether a class sample is prone to be confused with a different class - known or novel. In this work, we designed and performed a large-scale behavioral experiment that collected over 200,000 human reaction time measurements associated with object recognition. The data collected indicated reaction time varies meaningfully across objects at the sample-level. We therefore designed a new psychophysical loss function that enforces consistency with human behavior in deep networks which exhibit variable reaction time for different images. As in biological vision, this approach allows us to achieve good open set recognition performance in regimes with limited labeled training data. Through experiments using data from ImageNet, significant improvement is observed when training Multi-Scale DenseNets with this new formulation: it significantly improved top-1 validation accuracy by 6.02%, top-1 test accuracy on known samples by 9.81%, and top-1 test accuracy on unknown samples by 33.18%. We compared our method to 10 open set recognition methods from the literature, which were all outperformed on multiple metrics.

Elevated Insulin Levels Engage the Salience Network during Multisensory Perception

Introduction: Brain insulin reactivity has been reported in connection with systematic energy metabolism, enhancement in cognition, olfactory sensitivity, and neuroendocrine circuits. High receptor densities exist in regions important for sensory processing. The main aim of the study was to examine whether intranasal insulin would modulate the activity of areas in charge of olfactory-visual integration. Methods: As approach, a placebo-controlled double-blind within crossover design was chosen. The experiments were conducted in a research unit of a university hospital. On separate mornings, twenty-six healthy normal-weight males aged between 19 and 31 years received either 40 IU intranasal insulin or placebo vehicle. Subsequently, they underwent 65 min of functional magnetic resonance imaging whilst performing an odor identification task. Functional brain activations of olfactory, visual, and multisensory integration as well as insulin versus placebo were assessed. Regarding the odor identification task, reaction time, accuracy, pleasantness, and intensity measurements were taken to examine the role of integration and treatment. Blood samples were drawn to control for peripheral hormone concentrations. Results: Intranasal insulin administration during olfactory-visual stimulation revealed strong bilateral engagement of frontoinsular cortices, anterior cingulate, prefrontal cortex, mediodorsal thalamus, striatal, and hippocampal regions (p ≤ 0.001 familywise error [FWE] corrected). In addition, the integration contrast showed increased activity in left intraparietal sulcus, left inferior frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, and left middle frontal gyrus (p ≤ 0.013 FWE corrected). Conclusions: Intranasal insulin application in lean men led to enhanced activation in multisensory olfactory-visual integration sites and salience hubs which indicates stimuli valuation modulation. This effect can serve as a basis for understanding the connection of intracerebral insulin and olfactory-visual processing.

Clinical Gaps-in-Noise Measures in Blast-Exposed Veterans: Associations with Electrophysiological and Behavioral Responses.

It has been established that blast exposure and brain injury can result in self-reported and measured auditory processing deficits in individuals with normal or near-normal hearing sensitivity. However, the impaired sensory and/or cognitive mechanisms underlying these auditory difficulties are largely unknown. This work used a combination of behavioral and electrophysiological measures to explore how neural stimulus discrimination and processing speed contribute to impaired temporal processing in blast-exposed Veterans measured using the behavioral Gaps-in-Noise (GIN) Test. Results confirm previous findings that blast exposure can impact performance on the GIN and effect neural auditory discrimination, as measured using the P3 auditory event-related potential. Furthermore, analyses revealed correlations between GIN thresholds, P3 responses, and a measure of behavioral reaction time. Overall, this work illustrates that behavioral responses to the GIN are dependent on both auditory-specific bottom-up processing beginning with the neural activation of the cochlea and auditory brainstem as well as contributions from complex neural networks involved in processing speed and task-dependent target detection.

Association between Reaction Times in the Joint Simon Task and Personality Traits.

Joint go and no-go effects (joint Simon effects; JSEs) are considered to have a stimulus-response compatibility effect on joint reaction time tasks (joint Simon task) caused by the presence of other people. Additionally, JSEs are known to be associated with various social factors and are therefore a potential clinical marker for communicative function; however, the relationship with the personality that is associated with communication skills remains unclear. In this study, we focused on the association between JSE and personality traits. Thirty Japanese participants (fifteen women) were recruited. First, personality trait scores were obtained using the Japanese version of the ten-item personality inventory before the experiment. Second, we measured reaction times in the joint Simon task and single go and no-go tasks with the go signal presented on the congruent and incongruent sides. At last, we analyzed the association between reaction times and personality traits by using Spearman's correlation analysis. As a result, we observed two pairs with significant correlations: JSE and neuroticism and short reaction times in the joint condition and agreeableness. In conclusion, we identified potential psychological markers associated with the joint Simon task. These findings may lead to an additional hypothesis regarding the neurobiological mechanisms of JSEs.

The role of conflict processing in multisensory perception: behavioural and electroencephalography evidence.

To form coherent multisensory perceptual representations, the brain must solve a causal inference problem: to decide if two sensory cues originated from the same event and should be combined, or if they came from different events and should be processed independently. According to current models of multisensory integration, during this process, the integrated (common cause) and segregated (different causes) internal perceptual models are entertained. In the present study, we propose that the causal inference process involves competition between these alternative perceptual models that engages the brain mechanisms of conflict processing. To test this hypothesis, we conducted two experiments, measuring reaction times (RTs) and electroencephalography, using an audiovisual ventriloquist illusion paradigm with varying degrees of intersensory disparities. Consistent with our hypotheses, incongruent trials led to slower RTs and higher fronto-medial theta power, both indicative of conflict. We also predicted that intermediate disparities would yield slower RTs and higher theta power when compared to congruent stimuli and to large disparities, owing to the steeper competition between causal models. Although this prediction was only validated in the RT study, both experiments displayed the anticipated trend. In conclusion, our findings suggest a potential involvement of the conflict mechanisms in multisensory integration of spatial information. This article is part of the theme issue 'Decision and control processes in multisensory perception'.

Evaluating the effects of PeakATP® supplementation on visuomotor reaction time and cognitive function following high-intensity sprint exercise.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of 14-days adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) supplementation (PeakATP®) on reaction time (RT), multiple object tracking speed (MOT), mood and cognition. Twenty adults (22.3 ± 4.4 yrs., 169.9 ± 9.5 cm, 78.7 ± 14.6 kg) completed two experimental trials in a double-blind, counter-balanced, crossover design. Subjects were randomized to either PeakATP® (400 mg) or placebo (PLA) and supplemented for 14-days prior to each trial. During each trial, subjects completed a three-minute all-out test on a cycle ergometer (3MT), with measures of visuomotor RT [Dynavision D2 Proactive (Mode A) and Reactive (Mode B) tasks], MOT (Neurotracker), mood (Profile of Mood States Questionnaire; POMS) and cognition (Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics; ANAM) occurring before (PRE), immediately post (IP) and 60 min post-3MT (60P). Subjects ingested an acute dose of the assigned supplement 30 min prior to completing PRE assessments for each trial. Trials were separated by a 14-day washout period. PeakATP® significantly attenuated declines in hits (p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.235) and average RT (AvgRT, p = 0.006, ηp2 = 0.236) in Mode A, significantly improved AvgRT (p = 0.039, ηp2 = 0.174) in Mode B, and significantly reduced the total number of misses (p = 0.005, ηp2 = 0.343) in Mode B. No differences between treatments were noted for MOT, POMS or ANAM variables. In conclusion, these results indicate that PeakATP® maintains proactive RT and improves reactive RT following high-intensity sprint exercise suggesting that supplemental ATP may mitigate exercise induced cognitive dysfunction.

Effect of Agility Drills along with Reaction Time Exercises on Agility and Reaction Speed among Collegiate Badminton Players

Background: Badminton is a game of small margin where every milli second counts. In badminton as the shuttle moves in an incredible speed the player will have a very minimal amount of time to react and execute the shot. Reaction time and Agility are the two main important components that have to be trained along with other regular exercises. Objective: To find the effectiveness of Agility drills along with Reaction time exercises on Agility and Reaction speed among collegiate badminton players. Methods: A Quasi experimental study was conducted on 18 badminton players; they were divided into 2 groups with 9 in each group based on purposive sampling technique. Group A underwent Agility drills along with Reaction time exercises and Group B underwent conventional exercises. South east Missouri agility test was used to measure the Agility and Reaction time ruler drop test was used to measure reaction time. Results: An Independent t-test was used to compare the results between two groups. Significant difference was found on both outcome measures, the South east Missouri agility test values of group A was 11.3 seconds and in group B was 12.06 seconds. Where as in Reaction time ruler drop test values on Group A was 0.17 seconds and in Group B was 0.20 seconds. The results suggest that Group A which undergone Agility drills along with Reaction time exercises shown significant improvement than Group B that underwent conventional exercises in all parameters following intervention. Conclusion: The study concludes that the Agility drills along with Reaction time exercises is more effective in improving Agility and Reaction speed than Conventional exercises in collegiate badminton players, as it improves the hand eye coordination as well as the time required to reach the shuttle becomes faster through the increased processing rate by the sense of stimuli by the central nervous system and its response in form of motor response.

Linguistic Empathy: Behavioral measures, neurophysiological correlates, and correlation with Psychological Empathy

Relations among behavioral, psychological, and electrophysiological correlates of Linguistic Empathy were examined in two experiments using lateralized stimuli. Linguistic Empathy is defined as a linguistic manifestation of the point of view the speaker assumes toward the content of the utterance, and of the speaker's attitude toward/identification with the referents therein. Linguistic choices made by the speaker among multiple logically and referentially synonymous lexical and grammatical options reveal the speaker's perspectives. In experiment 1, acceptability ratings were measured for Context-Target sentence pairs that did or did not violate two Empathy Hierarchies (Person Empathy Hierarchy and Topic Empathy Hierarchy); the Empathy Quotient (EQ) test of Psychological Empathy was also administered. Ratings were lower for sentence pairs that violated both hierarchies than for those violating neither and were intermediate for sentences violating only one hierarchy. Linguistic Empathy (LE) was operationalized as the difference in ratings between sentences violating both vs. neither empathy hierarchy; this measure correlated positively with EQ. Experiment 2 replicated those results with new participants and measured reaction time and EEG during ratings. While there were no effects of hemisphere or visual field on the linguistic variables, the amplitude of a positive event-related potential deflection at 380 ms provided a partial electrophysiological correlate for LE. Its difference measure correlated with behavioral LE but not with EQ. Though preliminary, these experiments show that Linguistic Empathy may share information processing computations with Psychological Empathy and have an electrophysiological correlate.

A Step in the Right Direction: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Customized Stepping Game Software and Balance Boards for Balance Rehabilitation Therapy and Measurement.

The incidence of falls significantly increases with age in older populations. Traditionally, exercise interventions have been effective in improving balance and strength, thereby reducing the number and risk of falls. To minimize costs, to make exercise more engaging, and to reduce the burden on therapists, the use of serious gaming using virtual reality technologies has become more common. These gaming systems allow the evaluation of compensatory strategies to reduce falls. One of the easiest compensatory strategies to reduce falls is to step forward. To evaluate stepping, the time it takes to step, response times, and reaction times, a stepping game was developed using two Nintendo Wii Balance Boards™.The objective of this study was to investigate the stepping game system for its efficacy as a supplemental balance therapy by evaluating functional outcomes and participant satisfaction. The game was able to identify changes in performance measures (response time, reaction time and step time) for some participants over the span of the exercise program; however, a larger sample size and a stricter protocol is necessary to evaluate the clinical significance.Clinical Relevance- The stepping game appears to be more sensitive to detecting change in balance related measures including step time, reaction time, response time, than the Berg Balance Scale.

Sequences in harmony: Cognitive interactions between musical and visual narrative structure

From film and television to graphic storytelling, tonal music can accompany visual narratives in a variety of contexts. The apprehension of both musical and narrative sequences involves temporal categories in ordered patterning, which raises an interesting question: Do musical progressions and visual narratives rely on shared sequence processing mechanisms? If this is the case, then cues from music and sequential static images, when presented simultaneously, should interact during audiovisual online processing. We tested this question by measuring reaction times to target picture panels appearing in visual narrative (comic strip) sequences, which were presented panel by panel and synchronized with musical chord progressions. Image sequences were either coherent narratives or incoherent (random) panels, and they were aligned with musical accompaniment consisting of coherent tonal chord progressions or non-tonal (unrelated) chords. Reaction times were faster for target images in coherent sequences than incoherent sequences, and even faster for coherent images with tonal accompaniment than non-tonal chords. This indicated an interaction between sequential structures across domains. We take these results as evidence for a shared, domain-general sequence processing mechanism operating across music and visual narrative.

The inevitability of visual interruption.

For successful adaptive behavior, exogenous environmental events must be sensed and reacted to as efficiently as possible. In the lab, the mechanisms underlying such efficiency are often studied with eye movements. Using controlled trials, careful measures of eye movement reaction times, directions, and kinematics suggest a form of "exogenous" oculomotor capture by external events. However, even in controlled trials, exogenous onsets necessarily come asynchronously to internal brain state. We argue that variability in the effectiveness of "exogenous" capture is inevitable. We review an extensive set of evidence demonstrating that before orienting must come interruption, a process that partially explains such variability. More importantly, we present a novel neural mechanistic account of interruption, leveraging the presence of early sensory processing capabilities in the very final stages of oculomotor control brain circuitry.

Does Frequency of Baseline Testing Influence Concussion Diagnostic Decision Making Among College Athletes.

Concussion is a growing public health concern given the large number of youth and collegiate athletes participating in collision sports. Sport-related concussions can have an adverse impact on student-athletes' health and academic performance. Athletic programs within academic organizations are motivated to employ the most effective and efficient diagnostic and recovery procedures to minimize the duration and impact of these symptoms on student-athletes' functioning. The present study sought to further our understanding regarding the value and frequency of conducting baseline assessments when evaluating sport-related concussions. A total of 41 athletes (24 men, 17 women) between the ages of 18 and 22 were evaluated following suspected concussive injury between 2015 and 2018. Post-injury test results were compared to baselines that had been collected either 1 or 2 years prior, and to normative data, to determine consistency in diagnostic outcomes. Baseline test/retest reliability using Pearson's bivariate correlations revealed modest correlations on measures of verbal and visual memory (0.437-0.569) and very strong correlations on measures of reaction time and visual-motor speed (0.811-0.821). Meanwhile, minimal if any differences in clinical decision-making regarding the diagnostic outcome was observed when comparing post-injury test results to different baselines and to normative data. Findings indicate that yearly baseline testing may not improve diagnostic accuracy, and in many cases, normative data may be adequate for decision-making. Additional research should evaluate the potential benefit of baseline testing in return-to-play decision-making among broader athletic populations.

Revisiting the effects of configuration, predictability, and relevance on visual detection during interocular suppression

Statistical regularities and predictions can influence the earliest stages of visual processing. Studies examining their effects on detection, however, have yielded inconsistent results. In continuous flash suppression (CFS), where a static image projected to one eye is suppressed by a dynamic image presented to the other, the predictability of the suppressed signal may facilitate or delay detection. To identify the factors that differentiate these outcomes and dissociate the effects of expectation from those of behavioral relevance, we conducted three CFS experiments that addressed confounds related to the use of reaction time measures and complex images. In experiment 1, orientation recognition performance and visibility rates increased when a suppressed line segment completed a partial shape surrounding the CFS patch, demonstrating that valid configuration cues facilitate detection. In Experiment 2, however, predictive cues marginally affected visibility and did not modulate localization performance, challenging existing findings. In experiment 3, a relevance manipulation was introduced; participants pressed a key upon detecting lines of a particular orientation, ignoring the other possible orientation. Visibility and localization were enhanced for relevant orientations. Predictive cues modulated visibility, orientation recognition sensitivity, and response latencies, but not localization—an objective measure sensitive to partial breakthrough. Thus, while a consistent surround can strongly enhance detection during passive observation, predictive cueing primarily affects post-detection factors such as response readiness and recognition confidence. Relevance and predictability did not interact, suggesting that the contributions of these two processes to detection are mostly orthogonal.

The Simultaneous Assessment of Time and Motion Response during Dual Tasks.

Measurement of reaction time in clinical settings is generally employed to assess cognitive abilities by having a subject perform standard simple tests. In this study, a new method of measuring response time (RT) was developed using a system composed of LEDs that emit light stimuli and are equipped with proximity sensors. The RT is measured as the time taken by the subject to turn off the LED target by moving the hand towards the sensor. Through an optoelectronic passive marker system, the associated motion response is assessed. Two tasks of 10 stimuli each were defined: simple reaction time and recognition reaction time tasks. To validate the method implemented to measure RTs, the reproducibility and repeatability of the measurements were estimated, and, to test the method's applicability, a pilot study was conducted on 10 healthy subjects (6 females and 4 males, age = 25 ± 2 years), reporting, as expected, that the response time was affected by the task's difficulty. Unlike commonly used tests, the developed method has proven to be adequate for the simultaneous evaluation of the response in terms of time and motion. Furthermore, thanks to the playful nature of the tests, this method could also be used for clinical and pediatric applications to measure the impact of motor and cognitive impairments on RT.

Reliability and Minimal Detectable Change of the Standardized Assessment of Reaction Time.

Postconcussion reaction time deficits are common, but existing assessments lack sport-related applicability. We developed the Standardized Assessment of Reaction Time (StART) tool to emulate the simultaneous cognitive and motor function demands in sport, but its reliability is unestablished. To determine the intrarater, interrater, and test-retest reliability of StART and to examine the dual-task effect, time effect, and relationships between StART and computerized and laboratory-based functional reaction time assessments. Prospective cohort study. Clinical laboratory. Twenty healthy, physically active individuals (age = 20.3 ± 1.8 years, females = 12, no concussion history = 75%). Participants completed the StART, computerized reaction time (Stroop task via CNS Vital Signs), and laboratory-based jump landing and cutting reaction time under single-task and dual-task (subtracting by 6s or 7s) cognitive conditions at 2 testing sessions a median of 7 days apart. We used intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs), repeated-measure analysis of variance, and Pearson r correlations to address our aims. Overall, good to strong interrater (ICC [2,k] range = 0.83-0.97), intrarater (ICC [3,k] range = 0.91-0.98), and test-retest (ICC [3,k] range = 0.69-0.89) reliability were observed. A significant reaction time assessment-by-cognitive condition interaction was present (P = .018, ηp2 = 0.14), with StART having the largest dual-task effect. Main time effects for dual-task conditions were seen across all reaction time assessments (mean difference = -25 milliseconds, P = .026, ηp2 = 0.08) with improved performance at the second testing session. No StART outcomes correlated with computerized reaction time (P > .05), although some correlated with single-task (r range = 0.42-0.65) and dual-task (r range = 0.19-0.50) laboratory cutting reaction time. The StART demonstrated overall reliable performance relative to other reaction time measures. Reliability coupled with a strong dual-task effect indicates that StART is a valid measure for examining functional reaction time and may have future utility for sport-related concussion return-to-play decision-making.

Potential impact of metabolic syndrome on cognitive function in US firefighters.

Among US firefighters, sudden cardiac arrest and psychological stress (i.e., PTSD) are the leading cause of on-duty death. Metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) may influence both cardiometabolic and cognitive health. Here, we examined differences in cardiometabolic disease risk factors, cognitive function, and physical fitness in US firefighters with vs. without MetSyn. One hundred fourteen male firefighters, aged 20 to 60 years, participated in the study. US firefighters with MetSyn vs. non-MetSyn were divided by AHA/NHLBI criteria. Of them, we performed a paired-match analysis with respect to the age and BMI of firefighters with (n = 18) vs. without MetSyn (n = 18). The cardiometabolic disease risk factors included blood pressure, fasting glucose, blood lipid profiles [HDL-C, triglyceride (TG)], and surrogate markers of insulin resistance [TG/HDL-C, TG glucose index (TyG)]. The cognitive test included a psychomotor vigilance task as a measure of reaction time and a delayed-match-to-sample task (DMS) as a measure of memory, using the computer-based Psychological Experiment Building Language Version 2.0 program. The differences between MetSyn and non-MetSyn groups in US firefighters were analyzed using an independent t-test adjusted for age and BMI. In addition, Spearman correlation and stepwise multiple regression were conducted. US firefighters with MetSyn exhibited severe insulin resistance estimated by TG/HDL-C and TyG (Cohen's d > 0.8, all p < 0.01) compared with their age- and BMI-matched counterparts without MetSyn. In addition, US firefighters with MetSyn exhibited higher DMS total time and reaction time compared with non-MetSyn (Cohen's d > 0.8, all p < 0.01). In stepwise linear regression, HDL-C predicted DMS total time (β = - 0.440, R2 = 0.194, p < 0.05), and TyG (β = 0.432, R2 = 0.186, p < 0.05) predicted DMS reaction time. US firefighters with vs. without MetSyn were predisposed to metabolic risk factors, surrogate markers of insulin resistance, and cognitive function, even when matched for age and BMI, and there was a negative association between metabolic characteristics and cognitive function in US firefighters. The findings of this study suggest that the prevention of MetSyn may be beneficial to supporting firefighters' safety and occupational performance.

More Evidence That Ensemble Music Training Influences Children's Neurobehavioral Correlates of Auditory Executive Attention.

We assessed the neurocognitive correlates of auditory executive attention in low socioeconomic status 9-12-year-old children-with and without training in a social music program (OrKidstra). Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded during an auditory Go/NoGo task utilizing 1100 Hz and 2000 Hz pure tones. We examined Go trials, which required attention, tone discrimination and executive response control. We measured Reaction Times (RTs), accuracy and amplitude of relevant ERP signatures: N100-N200 complex, P300, and Late Potentials (LP). Children also completed a screening test for auditory sensory sensitivity and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-IV) to assess verbal comprehension. OrKidstra children had faster RTs and larger ERP amplitudes to the Go tone. Specifically, compared to their comparison counterparts, they showed more negative-going polarities bilaterally for N1-N2 and LP signatures across the scalp and larger P300s in parietal and right temporal electrodes; some enhancements were lateralized (i.e., left frontal, and right central and parietal electrodes). Because auditory screening yielded no between-group differences, results suggest that music training did not enhance sensory processing but perceptual and attentional skills, possibly shifting from top-down to more bottom-up processes. Findings have implications for socially based music training interventions in school, specifically for socioeconomically disadvantaged children.

Temporal attention

Attention, that is, the ability to focus processing resources on a specific part of sensory input, is often thought of as being mainly allocated in space, toward specific objects or modalities. However, attention can also be allocated within time. Temporal attention can be induced implicitly, that is, through learning of temporal regularities between at least two events, or explicitly, by the active instruction to attend to a specific time point. Moreover, temporal attention can be induced via external rhythmic stimulation. Many studies throughout the last 120 years have shown that, irrespective of the way temporal attention is induced, it facilitates processing of upcoming events. Based on early findings measuring reaction time, researchers initially assumed that temporal attention primarily accelerates motor processing. Within the last 20 years, however, more and more evidence has emerged supporting the view that temporal attention facilitates perceptual processing. Moreover, temporal attention may even interact with other attentional domains such as spatial attention or feature-based attention. In the present article, we summarize classical as well as current findings and theoretical accounts on how temporal attention affects perceptual processing. Furthermore, we sketch current challenges and open questions in research on temporal attention.

Measurement of Simple Reaction Time of the Cyclist in the Laboratory and Natural Environment Condition.

The most commonly used reaction time tests within the athlete community require appropriate testing conditions and equipment, most frequently laboratory ones, which are not suitable for testing athletes in their natural environment and do not fully represent athletes' natural capabilities and the influence of the surrounding environment. Therefore, this study's goal is to compare the simple reaction times (SRTs) of cyclists during tests in laboratory conditions and in natural cycling surroundings. The young cyclists (55 participants) took part in the study. The SRT was measured in a quiet laboratory room with the use of the special device. During riding and standing with a bike outdoors, the necessary signal was captured and transmitted by a folic tactile sensor (FTS) and an extra intermediary circuit (both invented by our team member) connected to a muscle activity measurement system (Noraxon DTS Desktop, Scottsdale, AZ, USA). The results showed that external conditions significantly affect the SRT, with it being the longest when riding and the shortest if measured in an isolated laboratory room, but without an effect of gender. Typically, men have a shorter reaction time, but our result supports other observations, where people with an active lifestyle show no sex differentiation in SRT. The proposed FTS with an intermediary circuit allowed us to measure SRT with the use of non-dedicated equipment and avoid buying a new one for a single specific use.