Chronotype and synchrony effects in human cognitive performance: A systematic review
Satyam Chauhan1,2, Martina Vanova2,3, Umisha Tailor4
1Department of Psychology, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University of London, London, UK.
Chronobiology International
|April 28, 2025
Summary
Chronotype influences cognitive performance, especially in older adults, with optimal timing enhancing attention, inhibition, and memory. Acknowledging these synchrony effects is crucial to avoid misinterpreting cognitive deficits.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Chronobiology
- Human Performance
Background:
- Chronotype, reflecting daily rhythms like sleep-wake cycles, influences cognitive function.
- The interaction between chronotype, time of day, and cognitive performance requires further clarification.
- Understanding these rhythms is key to interpreting cognitive variability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review existing literature on the influence of chronotype on cognitive function in healthy adults.
- To investigate the interaction between chronotype and time of day (optimal/non-optimal) on cognitive performance.
- To identify factors modulating the synchrony effect in cognitive tasks.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed and Web of Science databases following PRISMA guidelines.
- Inclusion of 65 studies examining chronotype and cognitive function in various adult age groups.
- Analysis focused on main effects of chronotype and synchrony effects at optimal times of day.
Main Results:
- Most studies (>80%) found no main effect of chronotype on cognitive function.
- A synchrony effect (superior performance at optimal time of day) was observed in 45.31% of studies in younger adults (18-45 years), particularly in attention, inhibition, and memory.
- Older adults showed a stronger synchrony effect (83.33% of studies), especially on fluid ability tasks.
Conclusions:
- Chronotype does not consistently affect cognitive function across the board.
- A significant synchrony effect exists, where cognitive performance is enhanced at an individual's optimal time of day, particularly in older adults.
- Age, endogenous arousal, and exogenous factors interact to influence cognitive synchrony, and failing to account for this can lead to misinterpretation of cognitive deficits, especially in the elderly.
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