Abstract
The ability to successfully allocate attention and filter distractors is crucial for performing most daily tasks. Attentional performance varies both between as well as within individuals across different time spans. However, questions remain regarding the relationship between these fluctuations, lifestyle patterns, and physical/mental health characteristics. The aim of the current study was to identify state and trait factors which modulate fluctuations of visual attention across time. We loaned an iPad to 39 clinically healthy participants who performed the Attention Network Test (ANT; Fan et al., 2002) four times per day (morning, afternoon, evening and night) over a 12-day period. The ANT measures three subprocesses of attention: alerting, orienting, and distractor filtering. Additionally, subjects logged numerous variables relating to lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and sleep patterns. On the first and last day of the study, participants completed a battery of neuropsychological questionnaires that measured multiple dimensions of physical and mental health. Our results show group level improvements in distractor filtering performance over time with the greatest changes occurring within the first four days of the study. In order to examine individual variability in attentional fluctuations, a Principal Component Analysis was performed on the longitudinal ANT data and K-means clustering revealed 4 groups of individuals. One of these clusters was uniquely characterized by markedly diminished improvements in distractor filtering (i.e., shallow slope over time) relative to the group average. Furthermore, individuals within this cluster differed along several other characteristics including greater lack of emotional awareness (as measured by the Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale), less variability in sleep, and less social media usage. The links between health-related factors and attentional fluctuations suggests significant predictive value of behavioral and clinical measures within a sub-clinical population on distractor filtering improvement over two weeks of behavioral training.