Differences in brain activity between fast and slow responses on psychomotor vigilance task: an fNIRS study.

Nogueira, Mateus G.; Silvestrin, Mateus; Barreto, Cândida S. F.; Sato, João Ricardo; Mesquita, Rickson C.; Biazoli, Claudinei; Baptista, Abrahão Fontes · 2021 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-387613/v1

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Summary

This study investigates the neural correlates of sustained attention by comparing brain activity associated with fast versus slow responses during the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). While functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) has established that frontoparietal networks support attentive performance and default mode networks correlate with inattentive states, it remains unclear whether functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) can replicate these findings. The authors aimed to determine if fNIRS could detect hemodynamic differences between fast and slow reaction times (RTs) both before and after stimulus onset, thereby validating fNIRS as a viable tool for studying attentional networks and testing dual-network models of cognitive control. The experiment involved thirty healthy adults, though five were excluded due to poor signal quality, leaving twenty-five participants for analysis. Participants performed a computerized PVT for 15 minutes, responding to visual stimuli with random interstimulus intervals. fNIRS data were acquired using a right-hemisphere montage covering eight regions of interest, including the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and inferior parietal cortex. Behavioral data classified responses as "fast" or "slow" based on decile rankings of regular reaction times. Data analysis employed General Linear Modeling for post-stimulus hemodynamic responses and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for pre-stimulus activity, focusing on oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (Hb) concentration changes. Results indicated significant differences in hemodynamic activity between fast and slow responses. Post-stimulus analysis revealed that fast responses elicited greater activation in the inferior parietal cortex, medial frontal cortex, and motor areas compared to slow responses. Crucially, pre-stimulus analysis showed that HbO concentrations were higher in the mPFC and inferior parietal cortex prior to fast responses, whereas they decreased before slow responses. These differences were observed in the three seconds preceding stimulus presentation, suggesting that ongoing brain activity predicts subsequent performance. Additionally, HbO beta values in the inferior parietal cortex correlated with mean reaction times, further linking regional activity to behavioral outcomes. The findings demonstrate that fNIRS can effectively detect frontoparietal network engagement associated with sustained attention, replicating key fMRI results. The presence of pre-stimulus hemodynamic differences supports the hypothesis that brain states fluctuate prior to task execution, influencing performance. This suggests fNIRS is a robust, cost-effective alternative for investigating attentional mechanisms, particularly in naturalistic settings where motion tolerance is critical. The study implies that fNIRS can be used to explore complex cognitive models, such as the dual-network approach, and offers flexibility in timing data analysis for real-world applications.

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• neuro workload indices

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data