Schedule of Events | Symposia

Examining EEG Microstate Dynamics as a Function of Time-on-Task

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 29, 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Brooke Schwartzman¹ (bes171@miami.edu), Anthony P. Zanesco², Jason S. Tsukahara¹, Ekaterina Denkova¹, Amishi P. Jha¹; ¹University of Miami, ²University of Kentucky

The vigilance decrement, characterized by worsening attentional performance with greater time-on-task, has been linked to within-task increases in response time variability (RT ICV) and mind wandering. Yet, its neural dynamics remain underexplored. EEG microstates are transient brain states of large-scale neural activity that offer millisecond-level insight into brain dynamics. Prior research has associated specific microstate configurations with cognitive states, linking microstate C to mind wandering and microstate E to on-task focus. Examining how these microstate configurations change as a function of time-on-task can provide insight into the brain dynamics contributing to the vigilance decrement. Herein, RT ICV, mind wandering, and microstate dynamics were evaluated as a function of time-on-task through secondary analysis of data previously reported by Zanesco et al. (2021). Participants (N = 34) completed a modified version of the Sustained Attention to Response Task with task-embedded mind wandering probes. EEG microstates were analyzed in the pre-stimulus period of trials preceding probes. Growth curve modeling revealed that RT ICV and mind wandering increased with greater time-on-task. The dynamics of microstates also changed with time-on-task. Microstate C explained more topographic variance, occupied more of the time series, and occurred more frequently with greater time-on-task. Additionally, microstate E was shorter in duration with greater time-on-task. These results demonstrate dynamic changes in objective performance, subjective ratings, and brain microstates as a function of time-on-task, expanding our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the vigilance decrement.

Topic Area: ATTENTION: Other