Influence of Extended Wakefulness on Automatic and Nonautomatic Processing

Abstract

We investigated the influence of extended wakefulness on automatic and nonautomatic processes in memory and visual search tasks. Subjects were trained in consistently mapped and variably mapped versions of each task, attaining automatic performance in the consistently mapped versions. We then recorded performance measures and event-related brain potentials for a 14-h period that began during the evening of the last day of training. Overall performance declined with extended wakefulness, but the benefits of consistently mapped training were retained throughout the night. Performance decrements consisted of an increase in nonresponses, increased response latencies, and decreased accuracies. P300 latencies increased, and P300 amplitudes decreased with extended wakefulness. When viewed together, reaction time and event-related brain potentials measures suggest that the locus of extended wakefulness effects was during early perceptual processes.

Searching Night and Day

“…This effect may involve perceptual, decision-stage, or response-stage effects of sleepiness. Humphrey, Kramer, and Stanny (1994) have provided convincing physiological evidence that the response stage is unaffected by sleepiness. We cannot rule out effects of sleepiness on early perceptual processes.…”

Vigilance, alertness, or sustained attention: physiological basis and measurement

“…Sleep fragmentation is also part of upper airway resistance syndrome and results in excessive daytime sleepiness (Black et al, 2000;Bonnet and Arand, 2003;Guilleminault et al, 1993). Chronic sleep loss also occurs in nightshift workers, rotating shift workers, and on-call workers, and is compounded by circadian rhythm disturbances (Humphrey et al, 1994;Akerstedt, 1987, 1988a) reviewed in (Akerstedt, 1988). These problems alone or in combination are cumulative for up to a week and beyond (Van Dongen et al, 2003).…”

“…RT lengthens with even partial sleep deprivation, and there is a progressive lengthening of RT with longer deprivation periods (Beaumont, 2001;Cochran et al, 1992;Dinges, 1997;Doran et al, 2001;Downey and Bonnet, 1987;Gauthier and Gottesmann, 1983;Gillberg, 1994;Humphrey, 1994;Koslowsky and Babkoff, 1992;Lorenzo et al, 1995;Magill et al, 2003;Pilcher and Huffcutt, 1996;Smith et al, 2002;Wesenten et al, 2002;Wilkinson, 1965). Similar findings are seen with classic tests of vigilance using long, repetitive tasks in which there is a signal detection component (Akerstedt, 1988;Gillberg, 1994;Magill, 2003;Strauss et al, 1984;Van Dongen et al, 2001Wilkinson, 1965).…”

“…For example, Stroop performance change was affected by the pattern of sleep deprivation (Beaumont, 2001;Binks et al, 1999;Herscovitch et al, 1980). Variable effects on memory may be related to task difficulty (Cajochen, 1999;Harrison et al, 2000;Humphrey, 1994;Linde and Bergstrom, 1992;McCarthy and Waters, 1997;Smith, 2002). Significant effects have also been demonstrated on the Sternberg working memory task and were correlated with decreased fMRI activation in multiple brain areas, particularly the bilateral parietal cortices (Mu et al, 2005).…”

“…The latency of the P3 potential increases, and the amplitude decreases, progressively during overnight sleep deprivation, suggesting problems with stimulus evaluation and attention (Humphrey, 1994;Lorist et al, 1994;Morris et al, 1992;Smith, 2002). These changes can be seen even in the absence of RT changes (Morris, 1992).…”