Different brain activation patterns in the prefrontal area between self-paced and high-speed driving tasks

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Transportation Safety

Background:

• Driving involves complex cognitive processes, including attention and decision-making.
• Understanding brain activity during driving tasks is crucial for enhancing safety and performance.
• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers a non-invasive method to study brain function in real-world scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different driving speeds on prefrontal cortex brain activity.
• To determine if higher speeds necessitate greater cognitive load during a stopping task.
• To evaluate the utility of fNIRS in assessing brain function during dynamic driving conditions.

Main Methods:

• Twenty experienced drivers performed a 60-m car stopping task five times each.
• Tasks were conducted at either self-paced or high-speed conditions.
• fNIRS was used to measure oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the prefrontal cortex.

Main Results:

• Stopping accuracy was comparable across both self-paced and high-speed conditions.
• Significantly higher oxygenated hemoglobin levels were observed in the prefrontal cortex during high-speed driving.
• fNIRS demonstrated sensitivity to changes in cognitive demand during driving.

Conclusions:

• High-speed driving, even when accurate, imposes a greater divided attention demand on the prefrontal cortex.
• fNIRS is a valuable tool for assessing cognitive load in driving research.
• Findings suggest that drivers may need enhanced attentional resources at higher speeds.