Visual Sustained Attention Task Research Articles

Dual orexin/hypocretin receptor antagonism attenuates NMDA receptor hypofunction-induced attentional impairments in a rat model of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a neuropsychiatric condition that is associated with impaired attentional processing and performance. Failure to support increasing attentional load may result, in part, from inhibitory failure in attention-relevant cortical regions, and available antipsychotics often fail to address this issue. Orexin/hypocretin receptors are found throughout the brain and are expressed on neurons relevant to both attention and schizophrenia, highlighting them as a potential target to treat schizophrenia-associated attentional dysfunction. In the present experiment, rats (N = 14) trained in a visual sustained attention task that required discrimination of trials which presented a visual signal from trials during which no signal was presented. Once trained, rats were then co-administered the psychotomimetic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist dizocilpine (MK-801: 0 or 0.1 mg/kg, intraperitoneal injections) and the dual orexin receptor antagonist filorexant (MK-6096: 0, 0.1, or 1 mM, intracerebroventricular infusions) prior to task performance across six sessions. Dizocilpine impaired overall accuracy during signal trials, slowed reaction times for correctly-responded trials, and increased the number of omitted trials throughout the task. Dizocilpine-induced increases in signal trial deficits, correct response latencies, and errors of omission were reduced following infusions of the 0.1 mM, but not 1 mM, dose of filorexant. As such, orexin receptor blockade may improve attentional deficits in a state of NMDA receptor hypofunction.

Limited Consistency and Strength of Neural Oscillations During Sustained Visual Attention in Schizophrenia

BackgroundNeural oscillations support perception, attention, and higher-order decision making. Aberrations in the strength or consistency of these oscillations in response to stimuli may underlie impaired visual perception and attention in schizophrenia. Here, we examined the phase and power of alpha oscillations (8–12 Hz) as well as aspects of beta and theta frequency oscillations during a demanding visual sustained attention task. MethodsPatients with schizophrenia (n = 74) and healthy control participants (n = 68) completed the degraded stimulus continuous performance task during electroencephalography. We used time-frequency analysis to evaluate the consistency (intertrial phase coherence) of the alpha cycle shortly after stimulus presentation (50–250 ms). For oscillation strength, we examined event-related desynchronization in a later window associated with decision making (360–700 ms). ResultsAlpha intertrial phase coherence was reduced in schizophrenia, and similar reductions were observed in theta (4–7 Hz) and beta (13–20 Hz), suggesting a lack of responsiveness in slower oscillations to visual stimuli. Alpha and beta event-related desynchronization were also reduced in schizophrenia and associated with worse task performance, increased symptoms, and poorer cognition, suggesting that limited responsiveness of oscillations is related to impairments in the disorder. Individuals with lower intertrial phase coherence had slower resting-state alpha rhythms consistent with dysfunctional oscillations persisting across default and task-related brain states. ConclusionsIn schizophrenia, abnormalities in the phase consistency and strength of slower oscillations during visual perception are related to symptoms and cognitive functioning. Altered visual perception and impaired attention in the disorder may be the consequence of aberrant slower oscillations that fail to dynamically reset and modulate in response to stimuli.

The Matrix Matters: Beverage Carbonation Impacts the Timing of Caffeine Effects on Sustained Attention.

Both caffeine and the perception of refreshment delivered by cooling, tingling, and mouth-watering flavors have individually been shown to positively impact cognitive performance and mood, though presently there is limited evidence on their possible combined effects. This study explored the contribution of refreshing compounds in beverages, namely, carbon dioxide and citric acid, on the acute effects of caffeine on sustained attention and self-rated physical and mental energy. A randomized, controlled crossover trial was conducted by testing three products: a carbonated caffeinated beverage; a comparator caffeinated beverage; and a flavor-matched control beverage. Findings from 24 healthy adults revealed product-dependent variations in cognitive performance during a 60-min visual sustained-attention task, suggesting that the carbonated-caffeinated beverage led to faster, greater and more consistent levels of accuracy, compared to the control beverage. Specifically, significant differences were found between: (1) the carbonated-caffeinated beverage and the caffeinated beverage, and (2) between the caffeinated beverage and the control beverage for number of hits, reaction time and false alarm scores. Both caffeinated beverages led to higher physical and mental energy, and lower physical and mental fatigue 60-min post-consumption. These findings suggest beneficial effects on sustained attention through the combination of caffeine with refreshing compounds.

Visual exogenous and endogenous attention and visual memory in preschool children who stutter

PurposeAttention develops gradually from infancy to the preschool years and beyond. Exogenous attention, consisting of automatic responses to salient stimuli, develops in infancy, whereas endogenous attention, or voluntary attention, begins to develop later, in the preschool years. The purpose of this study was to examine (a) exogenous and endogenous attention in young children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) through two conditions of a visual sustained selective attention task, and (b) visual short-term memory (STM) between groups within the context of this task. Method42 CWS and 42 CWNS, ages 3;0–5;5 (years;months), were pair-matched in age, gender (31 males, 11 females per group), and socioeconomic status. Children completed a visual tracking task (Track-It Task; Fisher et al., 2013) requiring sustained selective attention and engaging exogenous and endogenous processes. Following each item, children were asked to recall the item they had tracked, as a memory check. ResultsThe CWS group demonstrated significantly less accuracy in overall tracking and visual memory for the tracked stimuli, compared to the CWNS group. Across groups, the children performed better in sustained selective attention when the target stimuli were more salient (the condition tapping both exogenous and endogenous attention) than when stimuli were less so (the condition tapping primarily endogenous processes). ConclusionsRelative to peers, preschool-age CWS, as a group, display weaknesses in visual sustained selective attention and visual STM.

Abnormal Cortical Activation in Visual Attention Processing in Sub-Clinical Psychopathic Traits and Traumatic Brain Injury: Evidence from an fNIRS Study

Psychopathy is characterized by impulsivity, antisocial behavior, and deficient affect, and it has also been associated with attention deficits. However, studies of the relationship between psychopathy and the underlying neurophysiology of attention have yielded mixed results, which may be due to the heterogeneous nature of psychopathy as well as the failure to account for the influence of a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study investigated whether the neurophysiology of attention is differentially associated with individual psychopathic traits, and whether a history of TBI may change these associations. Psychopathic traits were assessed among college students (age = 18–26 years; 63% male) with (n = 20) and without (n = 23) a history of mild TBI. Brain activation in bilateral middle frontal gyri (MFG) was measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during a block-designed (rest and task blocks) visual sustained attention task. Relative to non-TBI controls, participants with a history of TBI showed significantly more activation in the right MFG in response to the task. In participants without a history of TBI, self-centered impulsivity was positively associated with activation in the right MFG during the rest blocks, while coldheartedness was negatively associated with activation in the left MFG during the task. No relationships between psychopathic traits and MFG activation were found in those with a history of TBI. These findings indicate that MFG hypoactivation and hyperactivation may contribute to the affective coldness and impulsivity of psychopathy, respectively, and highlight the importance of assessing TBI in psychopathy research.

The Relationship between Performance of Attention Task and Suicidal Ideation in Korean Patients with Mood Disorders.

Objective We examined the performance of attention tests related to suicidal ideation in mood disorder patients and to explain the difference of attention test performance in relation to suicidal ideation after controlling clinical and psychological variables of mood disorder patients. Methods Seventy-three in- and outpatients with major depressive disorder (n=41) or bipolar disorder (n=32) completed a self-rating questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, and clinical and psychological variables. Comprehensive Attention Test (CAT) also was conducted. Results Thirty-three patients were the high-suicidal ideation (SI) group, and forty patients were the low-SI group. The errors of commission (CEs) of visual sustained attention in the high-SI group was 6.3 times higher on average than that of the low-SI group. After controlling for sex, age, and diagnosis, a higher number of CEs on visual sustained attention tasks predicted higher SI score. However, after controlling for sex, age, diagnosis, and depressive mood, this predictive ability was no longer observed. Conclusion This study showed that CE on the visual sustained attention task seems to influence suicidal ideation as a result of interaction with depressive symptoms.

Age-related hearing loss associated with altered response efficiency and variability on a visual sustained attention task

ABSTRACT This study investigated the association between age-related hearing loss (ARHL) and differences in response efficiency and variability on a sustained attention task. The study population comprised 32 participants in a hearing loss group (HLG) and 34 controls without hearing loss (CG). Mean reaction time (RT) and accuracy were recorded to assess response efficiency. RT variability was decomposed to examine temporal aspects of variability associated with neural arousal and top-down executive control of vigilant attention. The HLG had a significantly longer mean RT, possibly reflecting a strategic approach to maintain accuracy. The HLG also demonstrated altered variability (indicative of greater decline in neural arousal) but maintained executive control that was significantly predictive of poorer response efficiency. Adults with ARHL may rely on higher-order attention networks to compensate for decline in both peripheral sensory function and in subcortical arousal systems which mediate lower-order automatic neurocognitive processes.

Attentional Fluctuations Influence the Neural Fidelity and Connectivity of Stimulus Representations.

Attention is thought to facilitate both the representation of task-relevant features and the communication of these representations across large-scale brain networks. However, attention is not "all or none," but rather it fluctuates between stable/accurate (in-the-zone) and variable/error-prone (out-of-the-zone) states. Here we ask how different attentional states relate to the neural processing and transmission of task-relevant information. Specifically, during in-the-zone periods: (1) Do neural representations of task stimuli have greater fidelity? (2) Is there increased communication of this stimulus information across large-scale brain networks? Finally, (3) can the influence of performance-contingent reward be differentiated from zone-based fluctuations? To address these questions, we used fMRI and representational similarity analysis during a visual sustained attention task (the gradCPT). Participants ( n = 16) viewed a series of city or mountain scenes, responding to cities (90% of trials) and withholding to mountains (10%). Representational similarity matrices, reflecting the similarity structure of the city exemplars ( n = 10), were computed from visual, attentional, and default mode networks. Representational fidelity (RF) and representational connectivity (RC) were quantified as the interparticipant reliability of representational similarity matrices within (RF) and across (RC) brain networks. We found that being in the zone was characterized by increased RF in visual networks and increasing RC between visual and attentional networks. Conversely, reward only increased the RC between the attentional and default mode networks. These results diverge with analogous analyses using functional connectivity, suggesting that RC and functional connectivity in tandem better characterize how different mental states modulate the flow of information throughout the brain.

Altered cortical activation and connectivity patterns for visual attention processing in young adults post-traumatic brain injury: A functional near infrared spectroscopy study.

This study aimed at understanding the neurobiological mechanisms associated with inattention induced by traumatic brain injury (TBI). To eliminate the potential confounding caused by the heterogeneity of TBI, we focused on young adults postsports-related concussion (SRC). Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data were collected from 27 young adults post-SRC and 27 group-matched normal controls (NCs), while performing a visual sustained attention task. Task responsive cortical activation maps and pairwise functional connectivity among six regions of interest were constructed for each subject. Correlations among the brain imaging measures and clinical measures of attention were calculated in each group. Compared to the NCs, the SRC group showed significantly increased brain activation in left middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and increased functional connectivity between right inferior occipital cortex (IOC) bilateral calcarine gyri (CG). The left MFG activation magnitude was significantly negatively correlated with the hyperactive/impulsive symptom severity measure in the NCs, but not in the patients. The right hemisphere CG-IOC functional connectivity showed a significant positive correlation with the hyperactive/impulsive symptom severity measure in patients, but not in NCs. The current data suggest that abnormal left MFG activation and hyper-communications between right IOC and bilateral CG during visual attention processing may significantly contribute to behavioral manifestations of attention deficits in patients with TBI.

Promoting Cognitive Flexibility Under Attention-demanding Conditions in Aged Rats.

Age-related decline in cognitive flexibility and learning contributes to poorer quality of life. Thus, it is important to develop procedures that minimize age-related cognitive decline. Previous research has shown that, when young adult rats were trained in an attention-demanding task with a distracter, they learned a new task more quickly compared with rats trained in the same attention- demanding task without a distracter. The goal of the present experiment was to test whether this beneficial effect of distracter exposure was observed in aged rats. Male FBNF hybrid rats (n=20) trained in a two-lever visual sustained attention task that required discrimination of brief illumination of a centrally located panel light compared with trials when the light was not illuminated. At age 20 months, half of the animals received a flashing houselight distracter for the remaining testing sessions and the other animals did not. After 20 sessions, new task trials were interspersed within the sessions, when the rats received water access for pressing the lever under the left or right panel light after that light was illuminated. When 70% of the trials in a session were the new discrimination task, the distracter-exposed animals had higher accuracy in detecting the shortest signal in the remaining attention task trials compared with rats not exposed to the distracter. The present results suggest that aged animals' learning can benefit from overcoming distracter exposure, although not to the same extent as younger animals.

Effects of Psychiatric Symptoms on Attention in North Korean Refugees.

ObjectiveWe investigated the performance of North Korean refugees on attention tasks, and the relationship between that performance and psychiatric symptoms.MethodsSustained and divided attention was assessed using the computerized Comprehensive Attention Test in North Korean refugees and in South Koreans. All participants also completed the Beck Depression Inventory, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Dissociative Experiences Scale-II (DES-II).ResultsThe North Korean refugees showed slower reaction times (RTs) on the visual sustained attention task compared to the South Koreans after controlling for age and sex. North Korean refugees had a greater number of omission errors (OEs) on the divided attention task and a higher standard deviation (SD) of RT. Total DES-II scores of the North Korean refugees were associated with the number of OEs and the SD of RT on the sustained attention task, and with the number of OEs on the divided attention task.ConclusionNorth Korean refugees showed poorer performance on computerized attention tasks. In addition, attention deficit among North Korean refugees was associated with their dissociative experiences. Our results suggest that refugees may have attention deficits, which may be related to their psychiatric symptoms, particularly dissociation.

The relationship between poor performance on attention tasks and increased suicidal ideation in adolescents.

Our goal was to examine the relationship between attention and suicidal ideation in a school-based adolescent population. This cross-sectional study involved 2,462 students from eight high schools in South Korea (1,021 males and 1,441 females, mean age 17.3 ± 0.6 years). The participants completed the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (SSI) and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and took part in computerized attention tasks. Participants with high SSI scores (16 or higher) exhibited a higher mean number of omission errors (OEs) and commission errors (CEs) on the visual sustained attention tasks than did participants with low SSI scores (p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). On the divided attention tasks, the high SSI group exhibited a higher mean number of CEs than the low SSI group did (p < 0.001). In a general linear model adjusting for age, gender, and high BDI (10 or higher), membership in the high OE group in the visual sustained attention tasks was associated with high SSI scores (p = 0.015). Belonging to the high OE or CE group in the divided attention tasks were associated with high SSI scores (p = 0.024 and p = 0.035, respectively). For both the visual sustained and divided attention tasks, interactions between gender and high OE rates were significant (p ≤ 0.001 and p = 0.013, respectively). In the post hoc analysis, membership in the high OE group was associated with high SSI scores for girls. In a multiple linear regression analysis including all participants and controlling for age, gender, and BDI scores, higher numbers of OEs and CEs on the visual sustained attention tasks predicted higher SSI scores (p < 0.001 and p = 0.019, respectively). On the divided attention task, the number of CEs was positively correlated with the SSI score (p = 0.031). The findings of this study indicate an association between attention deficits and increased suicidal ideation in adolescents after controlling for depressed mood. The current results suggest a direct link between attention deficits and increased suicidality independent of depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Attend to this: the relationship between auditory processing disorders and attention deficits.

Children clinically diagnosed with auditory processing disorders (APDs) are often described as easily distracted and inattentive, leading some researchers to propose that APDs might be a consequence of underlying attention difficulties or a subtype of attention disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the link between AP and attention by determining the relationship between performance on an auditory and visual sustained attention task and performance on a common APD test battery. This study was a cross-sectional correlation study of school-aged children. Participants were a clinical group of 101 children considered by their parents or teachers to have listening difficulties, and a control group of 18 children with no suspected listening difficulties. All children were 7-12 yr old. All children passed a standard peripheral audiologic assessment and were assessed using a clinical APD test battery and reading accuracy, nonverbal intelligence, and visual and auditory continuous performance tests. There were significant correlations within the APD test scores except for masking level difference values, which did not correlate significantly with any other measure. Dichotic Digit and Frequency Pattern scores also correlated significantly with Nonverbal Intelligence and Sustained Auditory and Visual Attention scores. Within the clinical group, there were twice as many children outside normal limits on both the APD test battery and the attention tests as there were children who were outside normal limits on only the APD test battery or only the attention tests. Significant predictors of reading ability were the Frequency Pattern, Gaps In Noise, and Nonverbal Intelligence scores. The degree of correlation between the APD and attention measures indicates that although deficits in both AP and sustained attention co-occur in some children (more than would be expected from chance alone), and the two conditions may have similar symptoms, they are separate, largely independent conditions.

Auditory and Visual Sustained Attention in Children with Speech Sound Disorder

Although research has demonstrated that children with specific language impairment (SLI) and reading disorder (RD) exhibit sustained attention deficits, no study has investigated sustained attention in children with speech sound disorder (SSD). Given the overlap of symptoms, such as phonological memory deficits, between these different language disorders (i.e., SLI, SSD and RD) and the relationships between working memory, attention and language processing, it is worthwhile to investigate whether deficits in sustained attention also occur in children with SSD. A total of 55 children (18 diagnosed with SSD (8.11±1.231) and 37 typically developing children (8.76±1.461)) were invited to participate in this study. Auditory and visual sustained-attention tasks were applied. Children with SSD performed worse on these tasks; they committed a greater number of auditory false alarms and exhibited a significant decline in performance over the course of the auditory detection task. The extent to which performance is related to auditory perceptual difficulties and probable working memory deficits is discussed. Further studies are needed to better understand the specific nature of these deficits and their clinical implications.

RTMS over bilateral inferior parietal cortex induces decrement of spatial sustained attention

Sustained attention is an essential brain function that enables a subject to maintain attention level over the time of a task. In previous work, the right inferior parietal lobe (IPL) has been reported as one of the main brain regions related to sustained attention, however, the right lateralization of vigilance/sustained attention is unclear because information about the network for sustained attention is traditionally provided by neglect patients who typically have right brain damage. Here, we investigated sustained attention by applying a virtual lesion technique, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), over the left and right superior parietal lobe (SPL) and IPL. We used two different types of visual sustained attention tasks: spatial (location based) and non-spatial (feature based). When the participants performed the spatial task, repetitive TMS (rTMS) over either the right or left IPL induced a significant decrement of sustained attention causing a progressive increment of errors and response time. In contrast, participants' performance was not changed by rTMS on the non-spatial task. Also, omission errors (true negative) gradually increased with time on right and left IPL rTMS conditions, while commission errors (false positive) were relatively stable. These findings suggest that the maintenance of attention, especially in tasks regarding spatial location, is not uniquely lateralized to the right IPL, but may also involve participation of the left IPL.

The role of sustained attention and display medium in reading comprehension among adolescents with ADHD and without it

Difficulties in reading comprehension are common in children and adolescents with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The current study aimed at investigating the relation between sustained attention and reading comprehension among adolescents with and without ADHD. Another goal was to examine the impact of two manipulations of the text on the efficiency of reading comprehension: Spacing (standard- vs. double-spacing) and Type of presentation (computer screen vs. hard copy). Reading comprehension of two groups of adolescents (participants with ADHD and normal controls) was assessed and compared in four different conditions (standard printed, spaced printed, standard on computer screen, spaced on computer screen). In addition, participants completed a visual sustained attention task. Significant differences in reading comprehension and in sustained attention were obtained between the two groups. Also, a significant correlation was obtained between sustained attention and reading comprehension. Moreover, a significant interaction was revealed between presentation-type, spacing and level of sustained attention on reading comprehension. Implications for reading intervention and the importance of early assessment of attention functioning are discussed.

Diazepam-Induced Changes in EEG Oscillations During Performance of a Sustained Attention Task

The primary aim of the present study was to test diazepam (DZ) effect, a benzodiazepine (BDZ) usually prescribed to reduce anxiety and to induce sleep, on EEG activity while performing a visual sustained attention task. The EEG activity was recorded in a double-blind placebo experiment, and prestimulus spectral power and inter- and intrahemispheric temporal coupling were assessed during visual sustained attention task performance. A single DZ dose (5 mg) was enough to increase reaction times during visual sustained attention task responses. DZ decreased prestimulus EEG power in the 1- to 6-, 8- to 12-, and 19- to 35-Hz bands and disrupted right intrahemispheric temporal coupling in the α-frequency range (8-12 Hz). The combined reduction in power and temporal coupling suggests both local and interregional DZ-induced disruption of neuronal synchronicity especially in the right hemisphere in agreement with the prominent attention-related networks in this hemisphere. These data support the notion that the influence of DZ on behavior goes beyond sedative effects and can potentially compromise higher cognitive functions with negative consequences to daily life situations.

Sustained attention in children with specific language impairment (SLI).

Information-processing limitations have been associated with language problems in children with specific language impairment (SLI). These processing limitations may be associated with limitations in attentional capacity, even in the absence of clinically significant attention deficits. In this study, the authors examined the performance of 4- to 6-year-old children with SLI and their typically developing (TD) peers on a visual sustained attention task. It was predicted that the children with SLI would demonstrate lower levels of performance in the absence of clinically significant attention deficits. A visual continuous performance task (CPT) was used to assess sustained attention in 13 children with SLI (M = 62.07 months) and 13 TD age-matched controls (M = 62.92 months). All children were screened for normal vision, hearing, and attention. Accuracy (d') and response time were analyzed to see if this sustained attention task could differentiate between the 2 groups. The children with SLI were significantly less accurate but not significantly slower than the TD children on this test of visual sustained attention. Children with SLI may have reduced capacity for sustained attention in the absence of clinically significant attention deficits that, over time, could contribute to language learning difficulties.

77. Electroencephalographic activity during visual sustained attention task in primary insomnia

77. Electroencephalographic activity during visual sustained attention task in primary insomnia

Performance on a Visual Sustained Attention and Discrimination Task is Associated with Urinary Excretion of Norepineprhine Metabolite in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD)

ABSTRACT The degree of association between performance on a sustained attention task requiring visual discrimination and urinary excretion of catecholamine metabolites was examined in a cohort of 6- to 12-year-old children (n = 31) strictly selected and diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD) according to DSM-IV and other strict criteria. Sustained visual attention and discrimination were measured using the Test of Variables of Attention (T.O.V.A.). Urinary excretion of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) metabolites was measured by reversed high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Pearson product-moment correlations were used to investigate the relationship between T.O.V.A. errors of omission (OMM), errors of commission (COM), response time (RT), and response time variability (RTV) and catecholamine metabolites of DA and NE. All T.O.V.A. indexes under investigation were significantly correlated with urinary excretion of NE metabolites, but correlations were low-to-moderate in magnitude (.37–.50). In contrast, there were no statistically significant correlations between T.O.V.A. indices and DA metabolites. These findings and their concordance with past research in human adults and animals, as well as theoretical issues associated with the present results, are discussed.