Cyclic variations in sustained human performance

Biological rhythms play a prominent role in the modulation of human physiology and behavior. [Smith, K., Valentino, D., & Arruda, J. (2003). Rhythmic oscillations in the performance of a sustained attention task. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 25, 561-570] suggested that s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brain and cognition 2009-12, Vol.71 (3), p.336-344
Main Authors: Aue, William R., Arruda, James E., Kass, Steven J., Stanny, Claudia J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activity levels. Psychomotricity
Adolescent
Adult
Analysis of Variance
Attention - physiology
Attention Control
Automobile Driving
Biological and medical sciences
Biology
Caffeine
Caffeine - pharmacology
Chi-Square Distribution
Cognitive Ability
CPT
Difficulty Level
Driving performance
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Humans
Individual performance
Male
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests
Neuropsychology
Periodicity
Photic Stimulation
Physiology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Psychomotor Performance - drug effects
Psychomotor Performance - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Role
Stimulants
Surveys and Questionnaires
Sustained attention
Task Analysis
Task difficulty
Testing
Vigilance
Vigilance. Attention. Sleep
Visual Perception - physiology
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Summary:Biological rhythms play a prominent role in the modulation of human physiology and behavior. [Smith, K., Valentino, D., & Arruda, J. (2003). Rhythmic oscillations in the performance of a sustained attention task. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 25, 561-570] suggested that sustained human performance may systematically fluctuate in a cyclic manner with periods of 1.5 min and 5.2 min. The current series of investigations sought to manipulate those periodicities by altering task difficulty, administering caffeine, and testing on a more ecologically valid task. Strong evidence of a 1.5 min periodicity was found across studies. Most participants did not demonstrate the 5.2 min periodicity. Moreover, the 1.5 min periodicity was resistant to task manipulations and appeared in similar levels across conditions in all three experiments. These rhythms may be indicative of an endogenous system that modulates sustained attention in humans. Evidence supporting this idea and implications of the research are discussed.
ISSN:0278-2626
1090-2147
DOI:10.1016/j.bandc.2009.07.002