Changes in Cerebral Oxygenation and Systemic Physiology During a Verbal Fluency Task: Differences Between Men and...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Physiology

Background:

• Sex differences in cognitive task performance are well-documented.
• Investigating sex-based variations in cerebral haemodynamics and systemic physiology during cognitive tasks is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if cerebral oxygenation and systemic physiological activity during a verbal fluency task (VFT) are sex-dependent.
• To explore sex-based differences in brain activity and physiological responses.

Main Methods:

• Utilized systemic physiology augmented functional near-infrared spectroscopy (SPA-fNIRS) in 32 healthy adults (17 females, 15 males).
• Measured cerebral oxygenation (oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin, total haemoglobin, tissue oxygen saturation) in the prefrontal and visual cortex.
• Recorded systemic physiological parameters including end-tidal CO2, heart rate, and respiration rate during a 9-minute VFT with blue light exposure.

Main Results:

• Females outperformed males in VFT performance.
• Males exhibited greater changes in oxyhaemoglobin and deoxyhaemoglobin in the visual cortex compared to females.
• Sex-dependent differences were observed in tissue oxygen saturation in the prefrontal and visual cortices, as well as in systemic physiological parameters.

Conclusions:

• Sex differences extend beyond cognitive performance to include cerebral and physiological responses.
• Acknowledging sex differences is vital for accurate interpretation of functional neuroimaging data.
• Findings have implications for understanding sex effects on behavior, physiology, and educational strategies.