The impact of cognitive load on climbing and climbing on cognitive performance

The effects of physical activity on cognition and the effects of cognitive load on physical activity are complex. Both the nature of the physical activity and cognitive task may influence the interactive effects of performing a physical task while also performing a cognitive task. In a previous study examining the impact of increasing cognitive load on outdoor running speed and the impact of outdoor running on cognitive performance, Blakely et al. (2015) found running speed decreased as cognitive load increased. They also found that the impact of running itself on cognitive performance occurred when the cognitive task was itself demanding (high cognitive load). In the current study we expanded on this previous research by improving the experimental task to rule out peripheral sensory, not central or executive, interference and by incorporating heart rate measures and VO2 max estimates. Twelve runners completed five conditions, two seated cognitive tasks (one low load and one high load), two dual running cognitive tasks and one run only. Results were similar to the original experiment, as the cognitive task became more difficult, voluntary running speed decreased. Also the effects of running on cognitive performance (counting) were found only when the cognitive task was high load.

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Does overloading cognitive resources mimic the impact of anxiety on cognition?

10.31234/osf.io/tc3wj ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ioannis Sarigiannidis ◽

Jonathan Paul Roiser ◽

Oliver Joe Robinson

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Load ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Time Perception ◽

Cognitive Resources ◽

Perception Task ◽

Impact Performance ◽

Attentional Resources ◽

The World ◽

The Impact

Anxiety alters how we perceive the world and can alter aspects of cognitive performance. Prominent theories of anxiety suggest that the effect of anxiety on cognition is due to anxious thoughts ‘overloading’ limited cognitive resources, competing with other processes. If this is so, then a cognitive load manipulation would impact performance of a task in the same way as induced anxiety. Thus, we examined the impact of a load manipulation on a time perception task that we have previously shown to be reliably impacted by anxiety. In contrast with our prediction, across two studies we found that time perception was insensitive to our load manipulation. Our results do not support the idea that anxiety impacts cognition by overloading limited cognitive resources. Thus, anxiety might affect cognition in a unique way, via an evolutionary-preserved defence survival system, as suggested by animal-inspired theories of anxiety, rather than competing for limited attentional resources.

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Decision Aids for Generating Analytical Review Alternatives: The Impact of Goal Framing and Audit-Risk Level

Behavioral Research in Accounting ◽

10.2308/bria.2002.14.1.157 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 157-177 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Jennifer M. Mueller ◽

John C. Anderson

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Cognitive Load ◽

Information Search ◽

Decision Aid ◽

Decision Aids ◽

Risk Level ◽

Audit Risk ◽

Goal Framing ◽

Analytical Review ◽

The Impact

An auditor generating potential explanations for an unusual variance in analytical review may utilize a decision aid, which provides many explanations. However, circumstances of budgetary constraints and limited cognitive load deter an auditor from using a lengthy list of explanations in an information search. A two-way between-subjects design was created to investigate the effects of two complementary approaches to trimming down the lengthy list on the number of remaining explanations carried forward into an information search. These two approaches, which represent the same goal (reducing the list) but framed differently, are found to result in a significantly different number of remaining explanations, in both low- and high-risk audit environments. The results of the study suggest that the extent to which an auditor narrows the lengthy list of explanations is important to the implementation of decision aids in analytical review.

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The Impact of Environmental Stress on Cognitive Performance: A Systematic Review

Human Factors The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society ◽

10.1177/0018720819839817 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 61 (8) ◽

pp. 1205-1246 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Kristy Martin ◽

Emily McLeod ◽

Julien Périard ◽

Ben Rattray ◽

Richard Keegan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Environmental Stress ◽

Task Performance ◽

Sea Level ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Individual Characteristics ◽

Eligibility Criteria ◽

Healthy Human ◽

The Impact

Objective: In this review, we detail the impact of environmental stress on cognitive and military task performance and highlight any individual characteristics or interventions which may mitigate any negative effect. Background: Military personnel are often deployed in regions markedly different from their own, experiencing hot days, cold nights, and trips both above and below sea level. In spite of these stressors, high-level cognitive and operational performance must be maintained. Method: A systematic review of the electronic databases Medline (PubMed), EMBASE (Scopus), PsycINFO, and Web of Science was conducted from inception up to September 2018. Eligibility criteria included a healthy human cohort, an outcome of cognition or military task performance and assessment of an environmental condition. Results: The search returned 113,850 records, of which 124 were included in the systematic review. Thirty-one studies examined the impact of heat stress on cognition; 20 of cold stress; 59 of altitude exposure; and 18 of being below sea level. Conclusion: The severity and duration of exposure to the environmental stressor affects the degree to which cognitive performance can be impaired, as does the complexity of the cognitive task and the skill or familiarity of the individual performing the task. Application: Strategies to improve cognitive performance in extreme environmental conditions should focus on reducing the magnitude of the physiological and perceptual disturbance caused by the stressor. Strategies may include acclimatization and habituation, being well skilled on the task, and reducing sensations of thermal stress with approaches such as head and neck cooling.

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Cognitive decline in patients with prostate cancer: study protocol of a prospective cohort, NEON-PC

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043844 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. e043844

Author(s):

Natalia Araujo ◽

Samantha Morais ◽

Ana Rute Costa ◽

Raquel Braga ◽

Ana Filipa Carneiro ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prostate Cancer ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Androgen Deprivation Therapy ◽

Survival Rates ◽

Cardiovascular Complications ◽

Androgen Deprivation ◽

High Survival ◽

The Impact

IntroductionProstate cancer is the most prevalent oncological disease among men in industrialised countries. Despite the high survival rates, treatments are often associated with adverse effects, including metabolic and cardiovascular complications, sexual dysfunction and, to a lesser extent, cognitive decline. This study was primarily designed to evaluate the trajectories of cognitive performance in patients with prostate cancer, and to quantify the impact of the disease and its treatments on the occurrence of cognitive decline.MethodsParticipants will be recruited from two main hospitals providing care to approximately half of the patients with prostate cancer in Northern Portugal (Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Porto and São João Hospital Centre), and will comprise a cohort of recently diagnosed patients with prostate cancer proposed for different treatment plans, including: (1) radical prostatectomy; (2) brachytherapy and/or radiotherapy; (3) radiotherapy in combination with androgen deprivation therapy and (4) androgen deprivation therapy (with or without chemotherapy). Recruitment began in February 2018 and is expected to continue until the first semester of 2021. Follow-up evaluations will be conducted at 1, 3, 5, 7 and 10 years. Sociodemographic, behavioural and clinical characteristics, anxiety and depression, health literacy, health status, quality of life, and sleep quality will be assessed. Blood pressure and anthropometrics will be measured, and a fasting blood sample will be collected. Participants’ cognitive performance will be evaluated before treatments and throughout follow-up (Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Cube Test as well as Brain on Track for remote monitoring). All participants suspected of cognitive impairment will undergo neuropsychological tests and clinical observation by a neurologist.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the hospitals involved. All participants will provide written informed consent, and study procedures will be developed to ensure data protection and confidentiality. Results will be disseminated through publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation in scientific meetings.

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The impact of translation modality on user experience: an eye-tracking study of the Microsoft Word user interface

Machine Translation ◽

10.1007/s10590-021-09267-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ana Guerberof Arenas ◽

Joss Moorkens ◽

Sharon O’Brien

Keyword(s):

User Interface ◽

Eye Tracking ◽

Cognitive Load ◽

Task Completion ◽

Eye Tracker ◽

Software Products ◽

Microsoft Word ◽

Set Up ◽

The Impact ◽

The Given

AbstractThis paper presents results of the effect of different translation modalities on users when working with the Microsoft Word user interface. An experimental study was set up with 84 Japanese, German, Spanish, and English native speakers working with Microsoft Word in three modalities: the published translated version, a machine translated (MT) version (with unedited MT strings incorporated into the MS Word interface) and the published English version. An eye-tracker measured the cognitive load and usability according to the ISO/TR 16982 guidelines: i.e., effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction followed by retrospective think-aloud protocol. The results show that the users’ effectiveness (number of tasks completed) does not significantly differ due to the translation modality. However, their efficiency (time for task completion) and self-reported satisfaction are significantly higher when working with the released product as opposed to the unedited MT version, especially when participants are less experienced. The eye-tracking results show that users experience a higher cognitive load when working with MT and with the human-translated versions as opposed to the English original. The results suggest that language and translation modality play a significant role in the usability of software products whether users complete the given tasks or not and even if they are unaware that MT was used to translate the interface.

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Caffeine may disrupt the impact of real-time drowsiness on cognitive performance: a double-blind, placebo-controlled small-sample study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83504-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

E. Aidman ◽

M. Balin ◽

K. Johnson ◽

S. Jackson ◽

G. M. Paech ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Real Time ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Small Sample ◽

Night Time ◽

Double Blind ◽

Infra Red ◽

Procedural Decisions ◽

Performance Gains ◽

The Impact ◽

Modest Reduction

AbstractCaffeine is widely used to promote alertness and cognitive performance under challenging conditions, such as sleep loss. Non-digestive modes of delivery typically reduce variability of its effect. In a placebo-controlled, 50-h total sleep deprivation (TSD) protocol we administered four 200 mg doses of caffeine-infused chewing-gum during night-time circadian trough and monitored participants' drowsiness during task performance with infra-red oculography. In addition to the expected reduction of sleepiness, caffeine was found to disrupt its degrading impact on performance errors in tasks ranging from standard cognitive tests to simulated driving. Real-time drowsiness data showed that caffeine produced only a modest reduction in sleepiness (compared to our placebo group) but substantial performance gains in vigilance and procedural decisions, that were largely independent of the actual alertness dynamics achieved. The magnitude of this disrupting effect was greater for more complex cognitive tasks.

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Publisher Correction to: BRAINSTORMING: A study protocol for a randomised double-blind clinical trial to assess the impact of concurrent brain stimulation (tDCS) and working memory training on cognitive performance in Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

BMC Psychology ◽

10.1186/s40359-021-00516-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sara Assecondi ◽

Rong Hu ◽

Gail Eskes ◽

Michelle Read ◽

Chris Griffiths ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Working Memory ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Acquired Brain Injury ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Double Blind ◽

Double Blind Clinical Trial ◽

The Impact

Following publication of the original article [1], the authors flagged that the article had published with the Acknowledgements erroneously excluded from the declarations at the end of the article.

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