Perceptual ability at peak during evenings

Do you know the time during a day when your perceptual powers are at their peak? Researchers say evenings, so better plan your date accordingly.

To unlock how the body clock (circadian rhythm) affects perceptual abilities, researchers from Yeungnam University in North Gyeongsang, South Korea, observed and compared the circadian fluctuations in tactile sense, joint reposition sense and two-point discrimination.

Yong Hyun Kwon and co-workers chose 21 healthy participants at approximately 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. in a day.

The distribution of ranking for perceptual ability was significantly different among the three different time points in each individual.

"We found the highest perceptual ability in the evening compared with noon and morning timings in terms of tactile sense and two-point discrimination," Kwon added.

Many previous studies have reported on detection of circadian fluctuation in performing simple motor tasks, fine skilled movement and anaerobic exercise.

"However, to the best of our knowledge, literature concerning variation of sensory function according to the circadian cycle was lacking till date," Kwon emphasised.

The findings were published in the journal Neural Regeneration Research.