Attention in Motion: Using an Oddball Task to Record Brain Activity in Skateboarders

Recent advancements in portable technology have opened new avenues in the study of human cognition outside research laboratories. This flexibility in methodology has led to the publication of several Electroencephalography (EEG) studies recording brain responses in real world scenarios such as cycling and walking outside. In the present study, we wanted to test the classic oddball task event related potentials (ERPs) while participants moved around a running track using an electric skateboard. This novel approach allows for the study of attention in motion while virtually removing body movement. Using the auditory oddball paradigm, we were able to measure the P3 and MMN-N2b components elicited by this task. We also found that compared to resting state, alpha power is attenuated in frontal and parietal regions during skateboarding. We also tested for the effect of stance preference in terms of P3 and alpha magnitude and found no differences in for either of these. By replicating the findings of the classic oddball task under such a novel environment this study extends our knowledge of brain function in highly ecologically valid scenarios.