scholarly journals High Intensity Intermittent Exercise Plays a Role in Improving Brain Activation During Complex Executive Functional Tasks

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-42
Author(s):  
Shweta Shenoy ◽  
Prachi Khandekar ◽  
Abhinav Sathe
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Intermittent Exercise ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Significant Difference

Several neuroimaging studies have examined the effect of different types and combinations of exercises on activation of brain associated with cognitive testing but none of these studies have examined the role of high intensity intermittent exercise (HIIE) in altering cortical activation from simple to complex cognitive tasks.  The purpose of this study was to find if HIIE has a role in modulating executive functions related to inhibitory control as expressed by changes in prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation.  Materials and methods. 40 healthy adults aged between 18-30 years volunteered for the study. They were randomly divided into HIIE a (n = 20) group and a control (n = 20) group. The HIIE group performed 4*4 min of high intensity exercise on a cycle ergometer with 3 minutes of active recovery at lower intensities between the bouts, whereas the control group performed no exercise. Prefrontal hemodynamics (oxy and deoxy haemoglobin) were assessed using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the Colour Word Stroop test (CWST) on two sessions: pre-session and post-session (1 week after pre-session). Results. The results indicate a significant difference in CWST scores which coincided with a significant difference in hemodynamics of PFC between a congruent and a complex incongruent task in the HIIE group. There was a greater activation of the right frontopolar area, the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, and the left frontopolar area during the incongruent task in response to acute HIIE.  Conclusion. HIIE plays a role in changing brain activation during more complex interference related tasks.

scholarly journals Comparison of Activation in the Prefrontal Cortex of Native Speakers of Mandarin by Ability of Japanese as a Second Language Using a Novel Speaking Task

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 412
Author(s):  
Li Cong ◽  
Hideki Miyaguchi ◽  
Chinami Ishizuki
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Strong Inhibition ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
High Level

Evidence shows that second language (L2) learning affects cognitive function. Here in this work, we compared brain activation in native speakers of Mandarin (L1) who speak Japanese (L2) between and within two groups (high and low L2 ability) to determine the effect of L2 ability in L1 and L2 speaking tasks, and to map brain regions involved in both tasks. The brain activation during task performance was determined using prefrontal cortex blood flow as a proxy, measured by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). People with low L2 ability showed much more brain activation when speaking L2 than when speaking L1. People with high L2 ability showed high-level brain activation when speaking either L2 or L1. Almost the same high-level brain activation was observed in both ability groups when speaking L2. The high level of activation in people with high L2 ability when speaking either L2 or L1 suggested strong inhibition of the non-spoken language. A wider area of brain activation in people with low compared with high L2 ability when speaking L2 is considered to be attributed to the cognitive load involved in code-switching L1 to L2 with strong inhibition of L1 and the cognitive load involved in using L2.

The effect of robot-assisted gait training on cortical activation in stroke patients: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kyeong Joo Song ◽  
Min Ho Chun ◽  
Junekyung Lee ◽  
Changmin Lee
Keyword(s):  
Gait Speed ◽  
Functional Outcomes ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Gait Training ◽  
Berg Balance Scale ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Stroke Patients ◽  
Robot Assisted ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of the robot–assisted gait training on cortical activation and functional outcomes in stroke patients. METHODS: The patients were randomly assigned: training with Morning Walk® (Morning Walk group; n = 30); conventional physiotherapy (control group; n = 30). Rehabilitation was performed five times a week for 3 weeks. The primary outcome was the cortical activation in the Morning Walk group. The secondary outcomes included gait speed, 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), FAC, Motricity Index–Lower (MI–Lower), Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Rivermead Mobility Index (RMI), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). RESULTS: Thirty-six subjects were analyzed, 18 in the Morning Walk group and 18 in the control group. The cortical activation was lower in affected hemisphere than unaffected hemisphere at the beginning of robot rehabilitation. After training, the affected hemisphere achieved a higher increase in cortical activation than the unaffected hemisphere. Consequently, the cortical activation in affected hemisphere was significantly higher than that in unaffected hemisphere (P = 0.036). FAC, MBI, BBS, and RMI scores significantly improved in both groups. The Morning Walk group had significantly greater improvements than the control group in 10MWT (P = 0.017), gait speed (P = 0.043), BBS (P = 0.010), and MI–Lower (P = 0.047) scores. CONCLUSION: Robot-assisted gait training not only improved functional outcomes but also increased cortical activation in stroke patients.

scholarly journals Interpersonal Synchrony Special Issue The role of anterior prefrontal cortex (area 10) in face-to-face deception measured with fNIRS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola Pinti ◽  
Andrea Devoto ◽  
Isobel Greenhalgh ◽  
Ilias Tachtsidis ◽  
Paul W Burgess ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Lie Detection ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Interpersonal Synchrony ◽  
Anterior Prefrontal Cortex

Abstract Anterior prefrontal cortex (PFC, Brodmann area 10) activations are often, but not always, found in neuroimaging studies investigating deception, and the precise role of this area remains unclear. To explore the role of the PFC in face-to-face deception, we invited pairs of participants to play a card game involving lying and lie detection while we used functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to record brain activity in the PFC. Participants could win points for successfully lying about the value of their cards or for detecting lies. We contrasted patterns of brain activation when the participants either told the truth or lied, when they were either forced into this or did so voluntarily and when they either succeeded or failed to detect a lie. Activation in the anterior PFC was found in both lie production and detection, unrelated to reward. Analysis of cross-brain activation patterns between participants identified areas of the PFC where the lead player’s brain activity synchronized their partner’s later brain activity. These results suggest that during situations that involve close interpersonal interaction, the anterior PFC supports processing widely involved in deception, possibly relating to the demands of monitoring one’s own and other people’s behaviour.

scholarly journals Modifications in Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation in Linear and Curvilinear Dual Task Walking: A Combined fNIRS and IMUs Study

Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (18) ◽  
pp. 6159
Author(s):  
Valeria Belluscio ◽  
Gabriele Casti ◽  
Marco Ferrari ◽  
Valentina Quaresima ◽  
Maria Sofia Sappia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Dual Task ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Motor Task ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Gait Quality

Increased oxygenated hemoglobin concentration of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been observed during linear walking, particularly when there is a high attention demand on the task, like in dual-task (DT) paradigms. Despite the knowledge that cognitive and motor demands depend on the complexity of the motor task, most studies have only focused on usual walking, while little is known for more challenging tasks, such as curved paths. To explore the relationship between cortical activation and gait biomechanics, 20 healthy young adults were asked to perform linear and curvilinear walking trajectories in single-task and DT conditions. PFC activation was assessed using functional near-infrared spectroscopy, while gait quality with four inertial measurement units. The Figure-of-8-Walk-Test was adopted as the curvilinear trajectory, with the “Serial 7s” test as concurrent cognitive task. Results show that walking along curvilinear trajectories in DT led to increased PFC activation and decreased motor performance. Under DT walking, the neural correlates of executive function and gait control tend to be modified in response to the cognitive resources imposed by the motor task. Being more representative of real-life situations, this approach to curved walking has the potential to reveal crucial information and to improve people’ s balance, safety, and life’s quality.

scholarly journals The difference in cortical activation pattern for complex motor skills: A functional near- infrared spectroscopy study

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seung Hyun Lee ◽  
Sang Hyeon Jin ◽  
Jinung An
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Contralateral Side ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Dominant Hand ◽  
Brain Lateralization ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Abstract The human brain is lateralized to dominant or non-dominant hemispheres, and controlled through large-scale neural networks between correlated cortical regions. Recently, many neuroimaging studies have been conducted to examine the origin of brain lateralization, but this is still unclear. In this study, we examined the differences in brain activation in subjects according to dominant and non-dominant hands while using chopsticks. Fifteen healthy right-handed subjects were recruited to perform tasks which included transferring almonds using stainless steel chopsticks. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to acquire the hemodynamic response over the primary sensory-motor cortex (SM1), premotor area (PMC), supplementary motor area (SMA), and frontal cortex. We measured the concentrations of oxy-hemoglobin and deoxy-hemoglobin induced during the use of chopsticks with dominant and non-dominant hands. While using the dominant hand, brain activation was observed on the contralateral side. While using the non-dominant hand, brain activation was observed on the ipsilateral side as well as the contralateral side. These results demonstrate dominance and functional asymmetry of the cerebral hemisphere.

scholarly journals Activation of Prefrontal Cortex in Process of Oral and Finger Shape Discrimination: fNIRS Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noriyuki Narita ◽  
Kazunobu Kamiya ◽  
Sunao Iwaki ◽  
Tomohiro Ishii ◽  
Hiroshi Endo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Shape Discrimination ◽  
Motor Sequence ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Reliable Representation ◽  
The Brain

BackgroundThe differences in the brain activities of the insular and the visual association cortices have been reported between oral and manual stereognosis. However, these results were not conclusive because of the inherent differences in the task performance-related motor sequence conditions. We hypothesized that the involvement of the prefrontal cortex may be different between finger and oral shape discrimination. This study was conducted to clarify temporal changes in prefrontal activities occurring in the processes of oral and finger tactual shape discrimination using prefrontal functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).MethodsSix healthy right-handed males [aged 30.8 ± 8.2 years (mean ± SD)] were enrolled. Measurements of prefrontal activities were performed using a 22-channel fNIRS device (ETG-100, Hitachi Medical Co., Chiba, Japan) during experimental blocks that included resting state (REST), nonsense shape discrimination (SHAM), and shape discrimination (SHAPE).ResultsNo significant difference was presented with regard to the number of correct answers during trials between oral and finger SHAPE discrimination. Additionally, a statistical difference for the prefrontal fNIRS activity between oral and finger shape discrimination was noted in CH 1. Finger SHAPE, as compared with SHAM, presented a temporally shifting onset and burst in the prefrontal activities from the frontopolar area (FPA) to the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). In contrast, oral SHAPE as compared with SHAM was shown to be temporally overlapped in the onset and burst of the prefrontal activities in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC)/FPA/OFC.ConclusionThe prefrontal activities temporally shifting from the FPA to the OFC during SHAPE as compared with SHAM may suggest the segregated serial prefrontal processing from the manipulation of a target image to the decision making during the process of finger shape discrimination. In contrast, the temporally overlapped prefrontal activities of the DLPFC/FPA/OFC in the oral SHAPE block may suggest the parallel procession of the repetitive involvement of generation, manipulation, and decision making in order to form a reliable representation of target objects.

scholarly journals 161 Brain Activation Assessed with Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (FNIRS) During Stepping and Gait in Older People and Those with PD

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. iv34-iv39
Author(s):  
Jasmine Menant ◽  
Paulo Pelicioni ◽  
Yoshiro Okubo ◽  
Colleen Canning ◽  
Daina Sturnieks ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Premotor Cortex ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Healthy Adults ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Yahr Stage

Abstract Background and Aim Past research has shown that compared with healthy peers, people with Parkinson’s Disease (PD) generate poorer stepping responses and display reduced ability to adapt gait to unexpected targets and obstacles. However, the neural basis of these impairments in PD is unclear. Here, we aimed to investigate cortical activation in pre-frontal and motor areas using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during stepping and gait adaptability in people with PD, compared with healthy adults. Methods Forty-four people with PD (>40 years, Hoen & Yahr stage 1-3) and 44 healthy age and sex-matched healthy adults performed three cognitively-demanding stepping tasks and a test of gait adaptability. We recorded relative changes in oxy-haemoglobin (HbO) and deoxy-haemoglobin (HbR) concentrations in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, supplementary motor area, premotor cortex and primary cortex using fNIRS. Results Data collection is ongoing with >75% participants already assessed. We will conduct between group-comparisons to compare HbO and HbR concentrations in the selected regions of interest in the stepping and the gait adaptability tests. Physical and cognitive predictors of brain activation in each task in each group will also be computed using regression models. Conclusion Based on the results of our recent systematic review of fNIRS-recorded brain activation during walking tasks (1), we hypothesise that compared with healthy-aged matched peers, people with PD will show increased prefrontal and motor cortices activation during stepping and gait adaptability tests. This would suggest that people with PD require more attentional resources for safe walking. Reference (1) Pelicioni et al. Prefrontal cortical activation measured by fNIRS during walking: effects of age, disease and secondary task. Peer J 2019; 7: e6833.

scholarly journals Concept generation techniques change patterns of brain activation during engineering design

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tripp Shealy ◽  
John Gero ◽  
Mo Hu ◽  
Julie Milovanovic
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Morphological Analysis ◽  
Engineering Students ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brain Activation ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Cognitive Activation ◽  
The Brain

Abstract This paper presents the results of studying the brain activations of 30 engineering students when using three different design concept generation techniques: brainstorming, morphological analysis, and TRIZ. Changes in students’ brain activation in the prefrontal cortex were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results are based on the area under the curve analysis of oxygenated hemodynamic response as well as an assessment of functional connectivity using Pearson’s correlation to compare students’ cognitive brain activations using these three different ideation techniques. The results indicate that brainstorming and morphological analysis demand more cognitive activation across the prefrontal cortex (PFC) compared to TRIZ. The highest cognitive activation when brainstorming and using morphological analysis is in the right dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) and ventrolateral PFC. These regions are associated with divergent thinking and ill-defined problem-solving. TRIZ produces more cognitive activation in the left DLPFC. This region is associated with convergent thinking and making judgments. Morphological analysis and TRIZ also enable greater coordination (i.e., synchronized activation) between brain regions. These findings offer new evidence that structured techniques like TRIZ reduce cognitive activation, change patterns of activation and increase coordination between regions in the brain.

scholarly journals Brain Activity in the Prefrontal Cortex during Cognitive Tasks and Dual Tasks in Community-Dwelling Elderly People with Pre-Frailty: A Pilot Study for Early Detection of Cognitive Decline

Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1250
Author(s):  
Kohei Maruya ◽  
Tomoyuki Arai ◽  
Hiroaki Fujita
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Healthy Group ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Right

We aimed to detect brain abnormalities during cognitive and motor tasks in older individuals with pre-frailty, as this could prevent dementia. Sixty elderly participants (mean age: 76.3 years; 27 healthy and 33 with pre-frailty) were included, and their motor function, cognitive function, and dual-task abilities (gait with calculation and while carrying a ball) were evaluated. Total hemoglobin (t-Hb) was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during tasks and resting periods. The pre-frailty group had a slightly lower gait speed than the healthy group, but there was no significant difference in cognitive function. In the pre-frailty group, the t-Hb values during the normal gait and cognitive tasks were higher than the resting value in the right prefrontal cortex, while in the healthy group, only the word frequency task (WFT) was higher. Furthermore, in the WFT, the t-Hb values were significantly lower in the pre-frailty group than in the healthy group. The results showed that pre-frail subjects had lower brain activation during the WFT in the right prefrontal cortex and excessive activity during walking, even without a noticeable cognitive decline. The differences in cerebral blood flow under the pre-frailty conditions may be a clue to detecting cognitive decline earlier.

scholarly journals Short-Term High-Intensity Interval Exercise Promotes Motor Cortex Plasticity and Executive Function in Sedentary Females

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Hu ◽  
Ningning Zeng ◽  
Zhongke Gu ◽  
Yuqing Zheng ◽  
Kai Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Stroop Task ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Cortical Plasticity ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Motor Cortical ◽  
High Intensity Interval

Previous research has demonstrated that regular exercise modulates motor cortical plasticity and cognitive function, but the influence of short-term high-intensity interval training (HIIT) remains unclear. In the present study, the effect of short-term HIIT on neuroplasticity and executive function was assessed in 32 sedentary females. Half of the participants undertook 2 weeks of HIIT. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (ppTMS) was used to measure motor cortical plasticity via short intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF). We further adapted the Stroop task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate executive function in the participants. The results indicated that, compared with the control group, the HIIT group exhibited decreased ICF. In the Stroop task, the HIIT group displayed greater activation in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) even though no significant difference in task performance was observed. These findings indicate that short-term HIIT may modulate motor cortical plasticity and executive function at the neural level.

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