Brain activity continuously and spontaneously fluctuates during tasks of sustained attention. This spontaneous activity reflects the intrinsic dynamics of neurocognitive networks, which have been suggested to differentiate moments of externally directed task focus from episodes of mind wandering. However, the contribution of specific electrophysiological brain states and their millisecond dynamics to the experience of mind wandering is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the association between electroencephalogram microstate temporal dynamics and self-reported mind wandering. Thirty-six participants completed a sustained attention to response task in which they were asked to respond to frequently occurring upright faces (nontargets) and withhold responses to rare inverted faces (targets). Intermittently, experience sampling probes assessed whether participants were focused on the task or whether they were mind wandering (i.e., off-task). Broadband electroencephalography was recorded and segmented into a time series of brain electric microstates based on data-driven clustering of topographic voltage patterns. The strength, prevalence, and rate of occurrence of specific microstates differentiated on- versus off-task moments in the prestimulus epochs of trials preceding probes. Similar associations were also evident between microstates and variability in response times. Together, these findings demonstrate that distinct microstates and their millisecond dynamics are sensitive to the experience of mind wandering.

在持续关注的任务中，大脑活动会持续自发地波动。这种自发活动反映了神经认知网络的内在动态，已被建议将外部定向任务焦点的时刻与走神的情节区分开来。然而，特定的脑电生理状态及其毫秒动力学对思维游荡体验的贡献仍不清楚。在这项研究中，我们调查了脑电图微状态时间动态与自我报告的走神之间的关联。三十六名参与者完成了一项持续关注反应任务，其中要求他们对经常出现的直立面孔（非目标）做出反应，并对罕见的倒立面孔（目标）做出反应。断断续续地，经验抽样调查评估参与者是否专注于任务或他们是否在走神（即，任务外）。基于数据驱动的地形电压模式聚类，宽带脑电图被记录并分割成脑电微观状态的时间序列。特定微观状态的强度、普遍性和发生率区分了在探测之前的试验的刺激前时期的任务执行时刻和任务结束时刻。类似的关联在微观状态和响应时间的可变性之间也很明显。总之，这些发现表明不同的微观状态及其毫秒动态对走神的体验很敏感。基于数据驱动的地形电压模式聚类，宽带脑电图被记录并分割成脑电微观状态的时间序列。特定微观状态的强度、普遍性和发生率区分了在探测之前的试验的刺激前时期的任务执行时刻和任务结束时刻。类似的关联在微观状态和响应时间的可变性之间也很明显。总之，这些发现表明不同的微观状态及其毫秒动态对走神的体验很敏感。基于数据驱动的地形电压模式聚类，宽带脑电图被记录并分割成脑电微观状态的时间序列。特定微观状态的强度、普遍性和发生率区分了在探测之前的试验的刺激前时期的任务执行时刻和任务结束时刻。类似的关联在微观状态和响应时间的可变性之间也很明显。总之，这些发现表明不同的微观状态及其毫秒动态对走神的体验很敏感。和特定微观状态的发生率区分了在探针之前的试验的预刺激时期中的任务时刻与任务时刻。类似的关联在微观状态和响应时间的可变性之间也很明显。总之，这些发现表明不同的微观状态及其毫秒动态对走神的体验很敏感。和特定微观状态的发生率区分了在探针之前的试验的预刺激时期中的任务时刻与任务时刻。类似的关联在微观状态和响应时间的可变性之间也很明显。总之，这些发现表明不同的微观状态及其毫秒动态对走神的体验很敏感。