Attention lapses and behavioural microsleeps during tracking, psychomotor vigilance, and dual tasks

Russell J Buckley; William S Helton; Carrie R H Innes; John C Dalrymple-Alford; Richard D Jones

doi:10.1016/j.concog.2016.09.002

Attention lapses and behavioural microsleeps during tracking, psychomotor vigilance, and dual tasks

Conscious Cogn. 2016 Oct:45:174-183. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.09.002. Epub 2016 Sep 14.

Authors

Russell J Buckley¹, William S Helton², Carrie R H Innes³, John C Dalrymple-Alford⁴, Richard D Jones⁵

Affiliations

¹ New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand.
³ New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; Medical Physics and Bioengineering, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand.
⁴ New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; Brain Research New Zealand-Rangahau Roro Aotearoa, Auckland, New Zealand.
⁵ New Zealand Brain Research Institute, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; Psychology, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Canterbury, Christchurch 8041, New Zealand; Medical Physics and Bioengineering, Christchurch Hospital, Christchurch 8011, New Zealand; Medicine, University of Otago (Christchurch), Christchurch 8011, New Zealand.

PMID: 27619820
DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.09.002

Abstract

This study examined the incidence of attention lapses and microsleeps under contrasting levels of task complexity during three tasks: PVT, 2-D tracking and a dual task combining the two. More attention lapses per participant (median 15vs. 3; range 1-74vs. 0-76, p=0.001), with the greatest increase with time spent-on-task (p=0.002), were evident on the more cognitively-demanding dual task than on the PVT. Conversely, fewer microsleeps (median 0vs. 0; range 0-1vs. 0-18, p=0.022) occurred during the more complex task compared to the tracking task. An increase in microsleep rate with time spent-on-task (p=0.035) was evident during the tracking task but not the dual task. These results indicate that the higher cognitive load, associated with an increase in task complexity, increased the likelihood of attention lapses, while a reduction in task complexity increased the likelihood of microsleeps.

Keywords: Arousal; Attention lapse; Behavioural microsleep; Psychomotor vigilance task; Resource depletion; Task complexity; Tracking.

MeSH terms

Adult
Arousal / physiology*
Attention / physiology*
Female
Humans
Male
Psychomotor Performance / physiology*
Reaction Time / physiology
Sleep / physiology*
Time
Wakefulness
Young Adult