Functional near-infrared spectroscopy-based prefrontal cortex oxygenation during working memory tasks in sickle cell...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Hematology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Sickle cell disease (SCD) is linked to cognitive decline, but objective measures and underlying hemodynamics are lacking.
• Assessing cognitive function in SCD is crucial for understanding disease impact and developing interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To objectively quantify cognitive decline in SCD using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).
• To investigate prefrontal cortex (PFC) oxygenation responses during working memory tasks in SCD patients compared to healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fNIRS to measure PFC oxygenation during N-back working memory tasks.
• Compared SCD patients with healthy controls, with some participants undergoing a Stroop test to induce stress.
• Quantified PFC oxygenation rate as an index of cognitive activity.

Main Results:

• SCD patients exhibited greater PFC oxygenation responses during the 2-back task under high stress, particularly those with stroke history.
• A marginally slower N-back response time was observed in SCD patients, exacerbated by stroke history.
• Task accuracy did not differ significantly between SCD patients and controls.

Conclusions:

• SCD patients require more processing time and PFC resources, indicated by altered PFC oxygenation.
• fNIRS shows potential as a tool for evaluating cognitive function and hemodynamic changes in SCD.
• Findings provide a basis for understanding cognitive decline in SCD and its relationship to brain activity.