Tracking attention using RIFT with a consumer-monitor setup

Abstract

Rapid Invisible Frequency Tagging (RIFT) is a recent technique that extends the traditional frequency tagging approach by modulating the luminance of distinct locations on a screen at frequencies beyond the threshold of perception ([≥]60Hz). Retrieving the corresponding frequencies from M/EEG recordings provides a time-resolved and location-specific measure of early visual processing, without the confounding effect of introducing visible stimuli. This method is most frequently harnessed as a tracker of covert attention in experimental paradigms across various disciplines in cognitive neuroscience. However, almost all existing RIFT work so far has made use of expensive display hardware limited in its accessibility. Recent work has shown that a RIFT response elicited by a 480Hz refresh-rate consumer monitor can be retrieved from the EEG, but it is not yet clear whether such a setup can be utilized to track the locus of attention. Here, using a spatial cueing paradigm (n=24) while simultaneously tagging two locations (60.0Hz and 65.5Hz), we show that covert attention can be reliably measured with RIFT on a 360Hz refresh rate consumer monitor. We hope that this study will facilitate the widespread application of using consumer-grade high refresh-rate gaming monitors with RIFT for future scientific and applied research.