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CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 11 - 24, 01.10.2025

Nazan Dolu

Abstract

The "Mesulam Cancellation Test" is a test used to measure sustained attention. This study investigates the role of time-of-day effect on cognitive performance by administering the Mesulam Cancellation Test to university students (17 males, 13 females) at three different times of day (8:30 AM, 12:30 PM, and 5 PM). Results indicated that participants exhibited an improved number of correctly marked targets and reduced completion times with repeated testing. Male students made more errors than female students in the final session. These findings are discussed in the context of sustained attention, suggesting that repeated exposure and time-of-day effects significantly influence attention and visuospatial performance.

Keywords

Mesulam Cancellation Test Time-of-day effect Sustained attention Student

References

  • Adan, A., Natale, V. (2002). Gender differences in morningness–eveningness preference. Chronobiol Int, 19(4), 709-720.
  • Ceglarek A, Hubalewska-Mazgaj M, Lewandowska K, Sikora-Wachowicz B, Marek TFM (2021) Time-of-day effects on objective and sub-jective short-term memory task performance. Chronobiol Int, 38,1330–1343.
  • Cowan N. (2017). The many faces of working memory and short-term storage. Psychon Bull Rev, 24(4),1158–1170.
  • Engle RW. (2002). Working memory capacity as executive attention. Curr Dir in Psychol Sci, 11(1), 19-23.
  • English, M. C., Maybery, M. T., Visser, T. A. (2021). Magnitude of sex differences in visual search varies with target eccentricity. Psychon Bull Rev, 28(1), 178–188.
  • Halpern, D. F., LaMay, M. L. (2000). The smarter sex: A critical review of sex differences in intelligence. Educ Psychol Rev, 12, 229-246.
  • Hebb DO. (1961). Distinctive features of learning in the higher animal. In J. F. Delafresnaye (Ed.), Brain Mech Learn, pp. 37-46, Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Karakaş S, Bakar EE, Taner YI. (2013). The role of attention on the in-telligence test scores of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Turk J Psychol, 28 (72), 83-85.
  • Karakaş S, Eski R, Başar E. (1996). A collection of neuropsychological tests standardized for Turkish culture: BILNOT Battery. 32nd National Neuro-logy Congress Proceedings, Turk Neurol.
  • Kheloui, S., Jacmin-Park, S., Larocque, O., Kerr, P., Rossi, M., Cartier, L., Juster, R. P. (2023). Sex/gender differences in cognitive abilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 105333.
  • Levine, S. C., Foley, A., Lourenco, S., Ehrlich, S., Ratliff, K. (2016). Sex differences in spatial cognition: Advancing the conversation. Wiley Inter-discip Rev Cogn Sci, 7(2), 127-155.
  • Manly, T., Lewis, G. H., Robertson, I. H., Watson, P. C., Datta, A. K. (2002). Coffee in the cornflakes: Time-of-day as a modulator of executive res-ponse control. Neuropsychol, 40, 1 – 6.
  • Morse, H., Jolly, A. A., Browning, H., Clark, A., Pomeroy, V., Rossit, S. (2024). Aging effects on extrapersonal (far-space) attention: cancellation and line bisection performance from 179 healthy adults. Aging Neuropsychol Cogn, 31(4), 605-626.
  • Munnilari, M., Bommasamudram, T., Easow, J., Tod, D., Varamenti, E., Edwards, B. J., Pullinger, S. A. (2024). Diurnal variation in variables related to cognitive performance: a systematic review. Sleep Breath, 28(1), 495-510.
  • Oberauer K. (2009). Design for a Working Memory. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation. 51, pp. 45–100, Elsevier.
  • Pletzer, B., Harris, T. A., Ortner, T. (2017). Sex and menstrual cycle inf-luences on three aspects of attention. Physiol Behav, 179, 384-390.
  • Reddy S, Reddy V, Sharma S. (2020). Physiology, Circadian Rhythm. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
  • Riley, E., Okabe, H., Germine, L., Wilmer, J., Esterman, M., DeGutis, J., Christiansen, H. (2016). Gender differences in sustained attentional control relate to gender inequality across countries. PloS One, 11(11), e0165100.
  • Rosengrant D, Hearrington D, O’Brien J. (2021). Investigating student sustained attention in a guided inquiry lecture course using an eye tracker. Edu Psychol Rev. 33: 11-26.
  • Ruff, R.M., Niemann, H., Allen, C.C., Farrow, C.E., Wylie, T. (1992). The Ruff 2 and 7 selective attention test: a neuropsychological application. Percept Mot Skills, 75(3_suppl), 1311–1319.
  • Santhi, N., Lazar, A. S., McCabe, P. J., Lo, J. C., Groeger, J. A., Dijk, D. J. (2016). Sex differences in the circadian regulation of sleep and waking cognition in humans. PNAS, 113(19), E2730-E2739.
  • Schmidt, C., Collette, F., Cajochen, C., Peigneux, P. (2007). A time to think: circadian rhythms in human cognition. Cogn Neuropsychol, 24(7), 755-789.
  • Shi L, Liu Y, Jiang T, Yan P, Cao F, Chen Y, Wei H, Liu J. (2020). Rela-tionship between mental health, the CLOCK gene, and sleep quality in surgical nurses: a cross-sectional study. BioMed Res Int, 4795763.
  • Smith, A. P. (2024). Time of day, speed of response, alertness and fati-gue. EJPMR, 11(5), 87-90.
  • Souissi Y, Souissi M, Chtourou H (2019) Effects of caffeine ingestion on the diurnal variation of cognitive and repeated high-intensity performances. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 177, 69 -74.
  • Stoet, G. (2011). Sex differences in search and gathering skills. Evol Hum Behav, 32(6), 416-422.
  • Tulving E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory, pp. 381–403, Academic Press.
  • Valdez P. (2019). Circadian rhythms in attention. YJBM, 92(1): 81–92 .
  • Walker W H 2nd, Walton J C, DeVries A C, Nelson R J. (2020). Circa-dian rhythm disruption and mental health. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1): 28 .
  • Wehrens S M T, Christou S, Isherwood C, Middleton B, Gibbs M A, Archer S N, Skene D J, Johnston J D. (2017). Meal timing regulates the hu-man circadian system. Curr Biol, 27(12): 1768– 1775.e3
  • Weintraub S, Mesulam MM. (1985). Mental state assessment of young and elderly adults in behavioral neurology. In: Mesulam MM, editor. Prin-ciples of Behavioral Neurology, Philadelphia: FA Davis Company.
  • Xu, S., Akioma, M., Yuan, Z. (2021). Relationship between circadian rhythm and brain cognitive functions. Front Optoelectron, 14(3), 278-287.

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 11 - 24, 01.10.2025

Nazan Dolu

Abstract

References

  • Adan, A., Natale, V. (2002). Gender differences in morningness–eveningness preference. Chronobiol Int, 19(4), 709-720.
  • Ceglarek A, Hubalewska-Mazgaj M, Lewandowska K, Sikora-Wachowicz B, Marek TFM (2021) Time-of-day effects on objective and sub-jective short-term memory task performance. Chronobiol Int, 38,1330–1343.
  • Cowan N. (2017). The many faces of working memory and short-term storage. Psychon Bull Rev, 24(4),1158–1170.
  • Engle RW. (2002). Working memory capacity as executive attention. Curr Dir in Psychol Sci, 11(1), 19-23.
  • English, M. C., Maybery, M. T., Visser, T. A. (2021). Magnitude of sex differences in visual search varies with target eccentricity. Psychon Bull Rev, 28(1), 178–188.
  • Halpern, D. F., LaMay, M. L. (2000). The smarter sex: A critical review of sex differences in intelligence. Educ Psychol Rev, 12, 229-246.
  • Hebb DO. (1961). Distinctive features of learning in the higher animal. In J. F. Delafresnaye (Ed.), Brain Mech Learn, pp. 37-46, Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Karakaş S, Bakar EE, Taner YI. (2013). The role of attention on the in-telligence test scores of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Turk J Psychol, 28 (72), 83-85.
  • Karakaş S, Eski R, Başar E. (1996). A collection of neuropsychological tests standardized for Turkish culture: BILNOT Battery. 32nd National Neuro-logy Congress Proceedings, Turk Neurol.
  • Kheloui, S., Jacmin-Park, S., Larocque, O., Kerr, P., Rossi, M., Cartier, L., Juster, R. P. (2023). Sex/gender differences in cognitive abilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 105333.
  • Levine, S. C., Foley, A., Lourenco, S., Ehrlich, S., Ratliff, K. (2016). Sex differences in spatial cognition: Advancing the conversation. Wiley Inter-discip Rev Cogn Sci, 7(2), 127-155.
  • Manly, T., Lewis, G. H., Robertson, I. H., Watson, P. C., Datta, A. K. (2002). Coffee in the cornflakes: Time-of-day as a modulator of executive res-ponse control. Neuropsychol, 40, 1 – 6.
  • Morse, H., Jolly, A. A., Browning, H., Clark, A., Pomeroy, V., Rossit, S. (2024). Aging effects on extrapersonal (far-space) attention: cancellation and line bisection performance from 179 healthy adults. Aging Neuropsychol Cogn, 31(4), 605-626.
  • Munnilari, M., Bommasamudram, T., Easow, J., Tod, D., Varamenti, E., Edwards, B. J., Pullinger, S. A. (2024). Diurnal variation in variables related to cognitive performance: a systematic review. Sleep Breath, 28(1), 495-510.
  • Oberauer K. (2009). Design for a Working Memory. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation. 51, pp. 45–100, Elsevier.
  • Pletzer, B., Harris, T. A., Ortner, T. (2017). Sex and menstrual cycle inf-luences on three aspects of attention. Physiol Behav, 179, 384-390.
  • Reddy S, Reddy V, Sharma S. (2020). Physiology, Circadian Rhythm. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
  • Riley, E., Okabe, H., Germine, L., Wilmer, J., Esterman, M., DeGutis, J., Christiansen, H. (2016). Gender differences in sustained attentional control relate to gender inequality across countries. PloS One, 11(11), e0165100.
  • Rosengrant D, Hearrington D, O’Brien J. (2021). Investigating student sustained attention in a guided inquiry lecture course using an eye tracker. Edu Psychol Rev. 33: 11-26.
  • Ruff, R.M., Niemann, H., Allen, C.C., Farrow, C.E., Wylie, T. (1992). The Ruff 2 and 7 selective attention test: a neuropsychological application. Percept Mot Skills, 75(3_suppl), 1311–1319.
  • Santhi, N., Lazar, A. S., McCabe, P. J., Lo, J. C., Groeger, J. A., Dijk, D. J. (2016). Sex differences in the circadian regulation of sleep and waking cognition in humans. PNAS, 113(19), E2730-E2739.
  • Schmidt, C., Collette, F., Cajochen, C., Peigneux, P. (2007). A time to think: circadian rhythms in human cognition. Cogn Neuropsychol, 24(7), 755-789.
  • Shi L, Liu Y, Jiang T, Yan P, Cao F, Chen Y, Wei H, Liu J. (2020). Rela-tionship between mental health, the CLOCK gene, and sleep quality in surgical nurses: a cross-sectional study. BioMed Res Int, 4795763.
  • Smith, A. P. (2024). Time of day, speed of response, alertness and fati-gue. EJPMR, 11(5), 87-90.
  • Souissi Y, Souissi M, Chtourou H (2019) Effects of caffeine ingestion on the diurnal variation of cognitive and repeated high-intensity performances. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 177, 69 -74.
  • Stoet, G. (2011). Sex differences in search and gathering skills. Evol Hum Behav, 32(6), 416-422.
  • Tulving E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory, pp. 381–403, Academic Press.
  • Valdez P. (2019). Circadian rhythms in attention. YJBM, 92(1): 81–92 .
  • Walker W H 2nd, Walton J C, DeVries A C, Nelson R J. (2020). Circa-dian rhythm disruption and mental health. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1): 28 .
  • Wehrens S M T, Christou S, Isherwood C, Middleton B, Gibbs M A, Archer S N, Skene D J, Johnston J D. (2017). Meal timing regulates the hu-man circadian system. Curr Biol, 27(12): 1768– 1775.e3
  • Weintraub S, Mesulam MM. (1985). Mental state assessment of young and elderly adults in behavioral neurology. In: Mesulam MM, editor. Prin-ciples of Behavioral Neurology, Philadelphia: FA Davis Company.
  • Xu, S., Akioma, M., Yuan, Z. (2021). Relationship between circadian rhythm and brain cognitive functions. Front Optoelectron, 14(3), 278-287.

GÜNÜN FARKLI SAATLERİNDEKİ DİKKAT DEĞİŞİMLERİ: ÜNİVERSİTE ÖĞRENCİLERİNDE MESULAM İPTAL TESTİ İLE ANALİZ

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 11 - 24, 01.10.2025

Nazan Dolu

Abstract

"Mesulam İptal Testi", sürekli dikkati ölçmek için kullanılan bir testtir. Bu çalışma, Mesulam İptal Testi'ni üniversite öğrencilerine (17 erkek, 13 kadın) günün üç farklı saatinde (08:30, 12:30 ve 17:00) uygulayarak bilişsel performans üzerinde günün saatinin rolünü araştırır. Sonuçlar, katılımcıların tekrarlanan testlerle doğru işaretlenmiş hedef sayısında iyileşme ve tamamlama sürelerinde azalma olduğunu gösterdi. Erkek öğrenciler son oturumda kadın öğrencilerden daha fazla hata yaptı. Bu bulgular, tekrarlanan maruziyetin ve günün saati etkilerinin dikkati ve görseluzaysal performansı önemli ölçüde etkilediğini öne süren sürekli dikkat bağlamında tartışılmaktadır.

Keywords

Mesulam İptal Testi Gün saati etkisi Sürekli dikkat Öğrenci

References

  • Adan, A., Natale, V. (2002). Gender differences in morningness–eveningness preference. Chronobiol Int, 19(4), 709-720.
  • Ceglarek A, Hubalewska-Mazgaj M, Lewandowska K, Sikora-Wachowicz B, Marek TFM (2021) Time-of-day effects on objective and sub-jective short-term memory task performance. Chronobiol Int, 38,1330–1343.
  • Cowan N. (2017). The many faces of working memory and short-term storage. Psychon Bull Rev, 24(4),1158–1170.
  • Engle RW. (2002). Working memory capacity as executive attention. Curr Dir in Psychol Sci, 11(1), 19-23.
  • English, M. C., Maybery, M. T., Visser, T. A. (2021). Magnitude of sex differences in visual search varies with target eccentricity. Psychon Bull Rev, 28(1), 178–188.
  • Halpern, D. F., LaMay, M. L. (2000). The smarter sex: A critical review of sex differences in intelligence. Educ Psychol Rev, 12, 229-246.
  • Hebb DO. (1961). Distinctive features of learning in the higher animal. In J. F. Delafresnaye (Ed.), Brain Mech Learn, pp. 37-46, Oxford: Blackwell.
  • Karakaş S, Bakar EE, Taner YI. (2013). The role of attention on the in-telligence test scores of patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Turk J Psychol, 28 (72), 83-85.
  • Karakaş S, Eski R, Başar E. (1996). A collection of neuropsychological tests standardized for Turkish culture: BILNOT Battery. 32nd National Neuro-logy Congress Proceedings, Turk Neurol.
  • Kheloui, S., Jacmin-Park, S., Larocque, O., Kerr, P., Rossi, M., Cartier, L., Juster, R. P. (2023). Sex/gender differences in cognitive abilities. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 105333.
  • Levine, S. C., Foley, A., Lourenco, S., Ehrlich, S., Ratliff, K. (2016). Sex differences in spatial cognition: Advancing the conversation. Wiley Inter-discip Rev Cogn Sci, 7(2), 127-155.
  • Manly, T., Lewis, G. H., Robertson, I. H., Watson, P. C., Datta, A. K. (2002). Coffee in the cornflakes: Time-of-day as a modulator of executive res-ponse control. Neuropsychol, 40, 1 – 6.
  • Morse, H., Jolly, A. A., Browning, H., Clark, A., Pomeroy, V., Rossit, S. (2024). Aging effects on extrapersonal (far-space) attention: cancellation and line bisection performance from 179 healthy adults. Aging Neuropsychol Cogn, 31(4), 605-626.
  • Munnilari, M., Bommasamudram, T., Easow, J., Tod, D., Varamenti, E., Edwards, B. J., Pullinger, S. A. (2024). Diurnal variation in variables related to cognitive performance: a systematic review. Sleep Breath, 28(1), 495-510.
  • Oberauer K. (2009). Design for a Working Memory. In Psychology of Learning and Motivation. 51, pp. 45–100, Elsevier.
  • Pletzer, B., Harris, T. A., Ortner, T. (2017). Sex and menstrual cycle inf-luences on three aspects of attention. Physiol Behav, 179, 384-390.
  • Reddy S, Reddy V, Sharma S. (2020). Physiology, Circadian Rhythm. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing.
  • Riley, E., Okabe, H., Germine, L., Wilmer, J., Esterman, M., DeGutis, J., Christiansen, H. (2016). Gender differences in sustained attentional control relate to gender inequality across countries. PloS One, 11(11), e0165100.
  • Rosengrant D, Hearrington D, O’Brien J. (2021). Investigating student sustained attention in a guided inquiry lecture course using an eye tracker. Edu Psychol Rev. 33: 11-26.
  • Ruff, R.M., Niemann, H., Allen, C.C., Farrow, C.E., Wylie, T. (1992). The Ruff 2 and 7 selective attention test: a neuropsychological application. Percept Mot Skills, 75(3_suppl), 1311–1319.
  • Santhi, N., Lazar, A. S., McCabe, P. J., Lo, J. C., Groeger, J. A., Dijk, D. J. (2016). Sex differences in the circadian regulation of sleep and waking cognition in humans. PNAS, 113(19), E2730-E2739.
  • Schmidt, C., Collette, F., Cajochen, C., Peigneux, P. (2007). A time to think: circadian rhythms in human cognition. Cogn Neuropsychol, 24(7), 755-789.
  • Shi L, Liu Y, Jiang T, Yan P, Cao F, Chen Y, Wei H, Liu J. (2020). Rela-tionship between mental health, the CLOCK gene, and sleep quality in surgical nurses: a cross-sectional study. BioMed Res Int, 4795763.
  • Smith, A. P. (2024). Time of day, speed of response, alertness and fati-gue. EJPMR, 11(5), 87-90.
  • Souissi Y, Souissi M, Chtourou H (2019) Effects of caffeine ingestion on the diurnal variation of cognitive and repeated high-intensity performances. Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 177, 69 -74.
  • Stoet, G. (2011). Sex differences in search and gathering skills. Evol Hum Behav, 32(6), 416-422.
  • Tulving E. (1972). Episodic and semantic memory. In E. Tulving & W. Donaldson (Eds.), Organization of memory, pp. 381–403, Academic Press.
  • Valdez P. (2019). Circadian rhythms in attention. YJBM, 92(1): 81–92 .
  • Walker W H 2nd, Walton J C, DeVries A C, Nelson R J. (2020). Circa-dian rhythm disruption and mental health. Translational Psychiatry, 10(1): 28 .
  • Wehrens S M T, Christou S, Isherwood C, Middleton B, Gibbs M A, Archer S N, Skene D J, Johnston J D. (2017). Meal timing regulates the hu-man circadian system. Curr Biol, 27(12): 1768– 1775.e3
  • Weintraub S, Mesulam MM. (1985). Mental state assessment of young and elderly adults in behavioral neurology. In: Mesulam MM, editor. Prin-ciples of Behavioral Neurology, Philadelphia: FA Davis Company.
  • Xu, S., Akioma, M., Yuan, Z. (2021). Relationship between circadian rhythm and brain cognitive functions. Front Optoelectron, 14(3), 278-287.
There are 32 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Sociology (Other)
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Nazan Dolu 0000-0002-3104-7587

Publication Date October 1, 2025
Submission Date May 23, 2025
Acceptance Date August 2, 2025
Published in Issue Year 2025 Volume: 9 Issue: 2

Cite

APA Dolu, N. (2025). CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. International Journal of Social And Humanities Sciences, 9(2), 11-24.
AMA Dolu N. CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. IJSHS. October 2025;9(2):11-24.
Chicago Dolu, Nazan. “CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS”. International Journal of Social And Humanities Sciences 9, no. 2 (October 2025): 11-24.
EndNote Dolu N (October 1, 2025) CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. International Journal of Social And Humanities Sciences 9 2 11–24.
IEEE N. Dolu, “CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS”, IJSHS, vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 11–24, 2025.
ISNAD Dolu, Nazan. “CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS”. International Journal of Social And Humanities Sciences 9/2 (October2025), 11-24.
JAMA Dolu N. CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. IJSHS. 2025;9:11–24.
MLA Dolu, Nazan. “CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS”. International Journal of Social And Humanities Sciences, vol. 9, no. 2, 2025, pp. 11-24.
Vancouver Dolu N. CHANGES IN ATTENTION AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF DAY: ANALYSIS WITH MESULAM CANCELLATION TEST IN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. IJSHS. 2025;9(2):11-24.
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