Journal
CHRONOBIOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
Volume 27, Issue 9-10, Pages 1870-1894Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS INC
DOI: 10.3109/07420528.2010.516047
Keywords
Child; Circadian rhythm; Cognitive performance; Time-of-day
Categories
Funding
- Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research NWO [GB-MW 940-38-011]
- ZonMW Brainpower [100-001-004]
- ZonMw Risk Behavior and Dependence [60-60600-98-018, 60-60600-97-118]
- ZonMw Culture and Health grant [261-98-710]
- Social Sciences Council medium-sized investment [GB-MaGW 480-01-006, GB-MaGW 480-07-001]
- Social Sciences Council project [GB-MaGW 457-03-018, GB-MaGW 452-04-314, GB-MaGW 452-06-004]
- NWO large-sized investment grant [175.010.2003.005]
- Sophia Foundation for Medical Research [301, 393]
- Dutch Ministry of Justice (WODC)
- European Science Foundation (EuroSTRESS) [FP-006]
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Cognitive performance fluctuates during the day due to diurnal variations in alertness level. This study examined: (1) whether cognitive performance in school-aged children is affected by time-of-day; (2) which functional domains are particularly vulnerable to time-of-day effects; and (3) whether the effects are more pronounced for cognitively more demanding tasks or task conditions. Children, aged 10-12 yrs, were randomly assigned to a test session starting either at 08:30 (n = 802), 10:00 (n = 713), or 13:00 h (n = 652). Speed and accuracy of information processing were evaluated by tasks that assess input-related cognitive processes (e.g., stimulus encoding), central cognitive processes (e.g., working memory, sustained attention), and output-related processes (e.g., response organization) using the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks program. Time-of-day effects in children were identified in specific neurocognitive domains, such as visuospatial processing and working memory, but only under cognitively more demanding task conditions. Sustained attention showed a speed-accuracy tradeoff with increased slowness and lapses in the early morning, but with better feedback responsiveness and perceptual sensitivity than in the early afternoon. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction of time-on-task with time-of-day for tempo, with the afternoon group increasing in tempo with time-on-task, and the early-morning group first showing a slowing of tempo with time-on-task, followed at the end of the task by a speed increase towards the initial levels. To conclude, the authors found time-of-day effects in preadolescents, which were confined to cognitively more demanding tasks tapping input-related and central cognitive processes. (Author correspondence: kbheijden@fsw.leidenuniv.nl).
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