Effects of vigilance decrease on exogeneous and endogeneous visual orienting

It is an aim of this study to assess whether a decrese of vigilance, obtained by means of a sleep deprivation, affects automatic and voluntary orienting of attention. Visual orienting was induced by both central (endogenous) and peripheral (exogenous) cues. Results show that the decrease of vigilance do not affect peripheral orienting, but induces a selective reduction of the facilitation effects, in the central cueing task. The specific impairment in the ability to intentionally follow the cue, suggests that the reducion of allerting produces a worsening of the voluntary control of attention.