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Functional connectivity analysis using fNIRS in healthy subjects during prolonged simulated driving
Liwei Xu1, Bitian Wang1, Gongcheng Xu1
1Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, PR China.
Neuroscience Letters
|January 15, 2017
Summary
Driving fatigue impacts brain connectivity, particularly in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and motor cortex (MC). This study used a novel simulator to measure brain activity, revealing reduced functional connectivity (FC) with increasing mental fatigue.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Traffic Safety Research
Background:
- Assessing driving fatigue through brain activity is crucial for preventing accidents.
- Understanding functional connectivity (FC) changes during prolonged driving is key to identifying fatigue markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate functional connectivity (FC) in brain regions affected by driving fatigue.
- To investigate synergistic mechanisms in brain regions using a novel simulator combining virtual reality and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
Main Methods:
- Subjects performed driving and mental calculation tasks within a semi-immersive virtual reality environment.
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) monitored brain activity.
- Wavelet coherence (WCO) and wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) analyzed global and specific frequency band connectivity.
Main Results:
- Significantly reduced WCO was observed in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and motor cortex (MC) at lower and higher frequency bands.
- WPCO also showed significant reductions in the PFC and MC, indicating decreased synchronization.
- Progressive mental fatigue was associated with diminished FC in critical brain regions.
Conclusions:
- Mental fatigue negatively impacts cognitive functions in the PFC.
- Cooperative mechanisms between the PFC and MC are disrupted by fatigue.
- Findings highlight the utility of fNIRS and advanced analysis techniques for noninvasive fatigue assessment in drivers.
Keywords:
Driving fatigueFunctional connectivityNear-infrared spectroscopyWavelet coherenceWavelet phase coherence
