Catching the drift: EEG microstate dynamics resemble time-on-task changes in mind wandering and sustained attention

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neurophysiology

Background:

• Sustained attention is crucial for goal-directed behavior.
• Task duration often leads to increased mind wandering, response time variability, and decreased accuracy.
• Large-scale brain dynamics during sustained attention are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how electroencephalography (EEG) microstate dynamics change with increasing time-on-task.
• To determine if specific microstates shift in prominence, reflecting transitions between task focus and mind wandering.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-four adults performed a 45-minute Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART).
• EEG data were recorded, and canonical microstates were extracted.
• Microstate metrics (time coverage, occurrence, duration) were analyzed in relation to time-on-task.

Main Results:

• Behavioral data confirmed reduced task focus with longer time-on-task.
• EEG microstate analysis revealed increased prominence of microstate C (associated with mind wandering) over time.
• A corresponding decrease in the prominence of microstate E (associated with task focus) was observed.

Conclusions:

• EEG microstate dynamics are sensitive to time-on-task effects on sustained attention.
• A gradual shift from task-focused neural states (microstate E) to mind wandering states (microstate C) occurs during prolonged tasks.