Weakened Sustained Attention and Increased Cognitive Effort after Total Sleep Deprivation: A Virtual Reality Ecological Study

Abstract

Total sleep deprivation (TSD) has a major impact on sustained attention as reported by previous studies that have investigated effects of TSD, however by using classical neuropsychological tests that lack ecological validity.

To study the effects of TSD on daily-life activities, we carried out an ecological evaluation of sustained attention using a virtual reality task requiring driving along an unpredictable path. We enrolled 30 volunteers who underwent two experimental sessions: baseline (after normal sleep night) and after 36 h of total TSD. We assessed changes in sustained attentional performance by analysing the series of visuomotor adjustments while driving. After TSD, we found greater inaccuracy and longer attentional lapses. Furthermore, the visuomotor adjustments series exhibited higher long-range correlations (self-similarity) which has been associated with greater cognitive efforts. Sustained attention assessed by the ecological task requiring visuomotor coordination gets worse after 36 h of total TSD together with greater cognitive effort.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was partially funded by the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme [grant agreement No 801715 – PUPILTRAITS]; Project “Brain Machine Interface in space manned missions: amplifying FOCUSsed attention for error counterbalancing” [BMI-FOCUS, Tuscany Region POR CREO 2014/2020].

Notes on contributors

Pasquale Bufano

Pasquale Bufano is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Physiopathology at University of Pisa and a research fellow at the Institute of Clinical Physiology-CNR, Pisa. His current research interests include working aging, the study of cognitive abilities in healthy subjects and the use of new technological tools for medical use.

Niccolò Albertini

Niccolò Albertini PhD is part of the Technical Staff of SMART Laboratory at Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa. His current research interests include Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Immersive Experience Design and Data visualization.

Simone Chiarelli

Simone Chiarelli is currently an experienced freelance Unity Developer, previously collaborating with the Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa on AR/VR application development as part of the POR FESR BMI Focus Project.

Vincenzo Barone

Vincenzo Barone is a full professor of Chemistry at Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa. His research interests focus on Theoretical Computational Chemistry and is aimed primarily at the development, validation and application of methodologies based on quantum mechanics and statistical thermodynamics to the study of complex molecular systems.

Marta Valleggi

Marta Valleggi holds a degree in economics and business from the University of Pisa, later specializing in computer application design and development and collaborating during her intern thesis with S.M. Scienzia Machinale srl on the BMI Focus Project.

Gianluca Parrini

Gianluca Parrini is the Vice-President and R&D Executive of Scienzia Machinale, a SME located in Navacchio (Pisa-Italy). His current interest and research are on wearable robotic devices and on CT/robotic assisted surgery.

Alessandro Tognetti

Alessandro Tognetti is Associate Professor of bioengineering at the Department of Information Engineering, Research Center “E. Piaggio,” University of Pisa. His research activity is focused on the design and development of wearable multisensory technologies for measurement and analysis—during daily activities—of posture and human movement and physiological signals.

Valentina Cesari

Valentina Cesari is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Physiopathology at University of Pisa. Her research interests include peripheral and central electrophysiologic correlates of embodiment and cognitive functions; non-invasive neurostimulation techniques to modulate motor and cognitive functions; the impact of stress on cognitive and emotional domains in healthy and psychopathological conditions.

Angelo Gemignani

Angelo Gemignani is full professor of neuroscience at University of Pisa and director of the Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, and of the Clinical Psychology Section of AOUP. His research activity is devoted to the study of the psychobiological mechanisms of sleep and consciousness.

Danilo Menicucci

Danilo Menicucci is Associate Professor of psychophysiology at the Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa. His current research interests include cognitive and affective neuroscience as well as sleep functions.