van de Ruit Mark, Ghosh Arko
Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands.
Neuroimage Rep. 2022 Sep 13;2(4):100131. doi: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100131. eCollection 2022 Dec.
According to popular belief when engaged on the smartphone surrounding information is ignored. However, emerging ideas based on laboratory-designed tasks suggest that the processing of task-irrelevant (distractor) information is enhanced when cognitive load is high as anticipated during intense periods of smartphone usage. Here we address the neural processing of task-irrelevant auditory tones while interacting with the smartphone touchscreen. We analyzed neural activity (EEG) while people (N = 24) were seated in public spaces and used their smartphones for ∼1.5 h. During this period, the number of touchscreen interactions spontaneously varied from one moment to another. The central and frontal theta-band (4-8 Hz) oscillations, an index of cognitive load, increased proportionally to the number of interactions. Moreover, an index of excitation:inhibition balance derived from the aperiodic signal components increased with the interactions. The auditory tones resulted in prominent evoked potentials with peaks at ∼50 ms, ∼100 ms, and ∼200 ms, reflecting the different cortical information processing stages. Of these, the ∼100 ms component was specifically related to the number of interactions such that the higher the number of interactions, the larger the neural signal amplitudes. Contrary to the popular notions but in keeping with emerging ideas on cognitive load, auditory information processing is enhanced with increased smartphone usage. In daily life, neural processing of the surroundings is partly shaped by the immediate cognitive demands imposed by the smartphone.
根据普遍看法，当人们使用智能手机时，周围的信息会被忽略。然而，基于实验室设计任务的新观点表明，在智能手机使用高峰期，如预期的那样，当认知负荷较高时，与任务无关（干扰）信息的处理会得到增强。在这里，我们研究了在与智能手机触摸屏交互时，与任务无关的听觉音调的神经处理过程。我们分析了24名参与者坐在公共场所使用智能手机约1.5小时期间的神经活动（脑电图）。在此期间，触摸屏交互的次数时刻在自发变化。作为认知负荷指标的中央和额叶θ波段（4 - 8赫兹）振荡与交互次数成比例增加。此外，从非周期性信号成分得出的兴奋与抑制平衡指标也随着交互次数增加。听觉音调引发了明显的诱发电位，峰值分别在约50毫秒、约100毫秒和约200毫秒，反映了不同的皮层信息处理阶段。其中，约100毫秒的成分与交互次数特别相关，即交互次数越多，神经信号幅度越大。与普遍观念相反，但与关于认知负荷的新观点一致，随着智能手机使用的增加，听觉信息处理得到增强。在日常生活中，周围环境的神经处理部分地受到智能手机即时认知需求的影响。
