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Pupil Diameter Tracks Lapses of Attention
Ruud L van den Brink1,2, Peter R Murphy1,2,3, Sander Nieuwenhuis1,2
1Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Plos One
|October 22, 2016
Summary
Attentional lapses are linked to pupil diameter changes. The derivative of pupil diameter, not just its size, may predict lapses, offering a new marker for sustained attention research.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Sustained attention is limited and prone to lapses.
- Previous studies on pupil diameter and attention have conflicting results.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the relationship between pupil diameter fluctuations and sustained attention performance.
- Identify reliable psychophysiological markers for attentional lapses.
Main Methods:
- Measured pupil diameter and performance on a sustained attention task.
- Analyzed relationships between baseline pupil diameter, its temporal derivative, and task metrics.
- Controlled for time-on-task effects.
Main Results:
- Initial linear relationships between pupil diameter and performance were explained by time-on-task.
- Inverted U-shaped relationships emerged when controlling for time-on-task.
- Temporal derivative of pupil diameter showed robust, time-on-task-independent links to performance.
Conclusions:
- Reconciles conflicting literature on pupil-linked attentional changes.
- Supports the adaptive gain theory of locus coeruleus-norepinephrine function.
- Suggests pupil diameter derivative as a marker for predicting and preventing attentional lapses.
