scholarly journals Impact of Tea and Coffee Consumption on Cognitive Performance: An fNIRS and EDA Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 2390 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Sargent ◽  
Jan Watson ◽  
Yigit Topoglu ◽  
Hongjun Ye ◽  
Rajneesh Suri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Office Work ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Neural Efficiency ◽  
The Impact

Coffee and tea are two of the most popular beverages in the world and have been consumed for more than a thousand years. They have become an integral part of the day for many consumers and may aid not only increased social interactions but also productivity. However, there is no conclusive evidence of their comparative effect on cognitive ability. This study investigated the impact of tea and coffee products on cognitive performance in typical office work-related tasks using brain, body, and behavioral measures. In a controlled multi-day study, we explored the effects of both traditional and cognition-enhancing hot beverages through task performance and self-reported measures. A total of 120 participants completed three work-related tasks from different cognitive domains and consumed either a traditional or cognition-enhancing hot beverage. During the study, we measured brain activity in the prefrontal cortex using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) as well as arousal from skin conductance through electrodermal activity (EDA) while participants completed cognitive tasks and consumed the beverages. Neural efficiency was used to evaluate cognitive performance in the tasks. Neural efficiency was calculated from a composite score of behavioral efficiency and cognitive effort, and emotional arousal was estimated from EDA activity. Results indicated that for different cognitive domains, the enhanced hot beverages showed improved neural efficiency over that of a traditional hot beverage. This is the first study to assess the impact of both traditional and cognition-enhancing drinks using a multimodal approach for workplace-related assignments.

61-LB: Use of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to Assess Cognitive Effort in KATP-Related Neonatal Diabetes (KATP-NDM)

Diabetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 61-LB
Author(s):  
LISA R. LETOURNEAU-FREIBERG ◽  
KIMBERLY L. MEIDENBAUER ◽  
ANNA M. DENSON ◽  
PERSEPHONE TIAN ◽  
KYOUNG WHAN CHOE ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Neonatal Diabetes ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

scholarly journals Cortical Activity Linked to Clocking in Deaf Adults: fNIRS Insights with Static and Animated Stimuli Presentation

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 196
Author(s):  
Sébastien Laurent ◽  
Laurence Paire-Ficout ◽  
Jean-Michel Boucheix ◽  
Stéphane Argon ◽  
Antonio Hidalgo-Muñoz
Keyword(s):  
Near Infrared ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Time Estimation ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Deaf People ◽  
Vehicle Speed ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
The Road ◽  
Deaf Adults

The question of the possible impact of deafness on temporal processing remains unanswered. Different findings, based on behavioral measures, show contradictory results. The goal of the present study is to analyze the brain activity underlying time estimation by using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) techniques, which allow examination of the frontal, central and occipital cortical areas. A total of 37 participants (19 deaf) were recruited. The experimental task involved processing a road scene to determine whether the driver had time to safely execute a driving task, such as overtaking. The road scenes were presented in animated format, or in sequences of 3 static images showing the beginning, mid-point, and end of a situation. The latter presentation required a clocking mechanism to estimate the time between the samples to evaluate vehicle speed. The results show greater frontal region activity in deaf people, which suggests that more cognitive effort is needed to process these scenes. The central region, which is involved in clocking according to several studies, is particularly activated by the static presentation in deaf people during the estimation of time lapses. Exploration of the occipital region yielded no conclusive results. Our results on the frontal and central regions encourage further study of the neural basis of time processing and its links with auditory capacity.

scholarly journals A framework for studying design thinking through measuring designers’ minds, bodies and brains

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
John S. Gero ◽  
Julie Milovanovic
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Electrodermal Activity ◽  
Solution Space ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Problem Solution ◽  
Design Cognition ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Design Reasoning

This paper presents a framework for studying design thinking. Three paradigmatic approaches are described to measure design cognitive processes: design cognition, design physiology and design neurocognition. Specific tools and methods serve each paradigmatic approach. Design cognition is explored through protocol analysis, black-box experiments, surveys and interviews. Design physiology is measured with eye tracking, electrodermal activity, heart rate and emotion tracking. Design neurocognition is measured using electroencephalography, functional near infrared spectroscopy and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Illustrative examples are presented to describe the types of results each method provides about the characteristics of design thinking, such as design patterns, design reasoning, design creativity, design collaboration, the co-evolution of the problem solution space, or design analysis and evaluation. The triangulation of results from the three paradigmatic approaches to studying design thinking provides a synergistic foundation for the understanding of design cognitive processes. Results from such studies generate a source of feedback to designers, design educators and researchers in design science. New models, new tools and new research questions emerge from the integrated approach proposed and lay down future challenges in studying design thinking.

scholarly journals Tablet Use Affects Preschoolers’ Executive Function: fNIRS Evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hui Li ◽  
Dandan Wu ◽  
Jinfeng Yang ◽  
Jiutong Luo ◽  
Sha Xie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Dimensional Change ◽  
Heavy User ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Card Sort ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dimensional Change Card Sort

This study aims to examine the impact of tablet use on preschoolers’ executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether 38 Chinese preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the ‘heavy-user'. The results indicated that: (1) the 'Non-user' outperformed the 'Heavy-user' with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the 'Non-user' pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the 'Heavy-user' pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.

scholarly journals “The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend”: Shared Negative but not Positive Emotional Experience is Associated with Neural Synchrony in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiani Li ◽  
MACRINA DIEFFENBACH ◽  
MATTHEW D. LIEBERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Medial Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Neural Synchrony ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Neural Signature ◽  
The Impact

Prevalent, automatic, and powerful, emotional experience forms an integral part of human life. Despite numerous studies pointing at the impact of emotion in shaping one’s interpretation of situation and guiding action, emotional experience has not been studied extensively due to its idiosyncratic nature. However, advances in neuroimaging techniques and statistical analysis methods enabled more rigorous investigation of subjective experience, one of which is neural synchrony. Here we sought to examine if neural synchrony in regions within the default mode network, including medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), bilateral temporoparietal junctions (TPJ) and inferior parietal lobules (IPL), underlies shared emotional experience. A hundred and four participants watched political videos while being scanned by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) and rated their emotional experience afterwards. Although initial Inter- Subject Correlation Analysis and Inter-Subject Representational Similarity Analysis did not yield significant findings, we addressed limitations of both approaches – loss of dimensionality and unequal comparisons of dyads – by combining them with k-means clustering. This improved version of analysis revealed that subjects who reported more similarly negative, but not positive, emotional experiences exhibited more synchronized neural fluctuations in mPFC. The results suggest that neural synchrony in mPFC may be driven primarily by negative sentiments and serve as a neural signature for subjective emotional experience.

scholarly journals Cortical hemodynamics as a function of handgrip strength and cognitive performance: a cross-sectional fNIRS study in younger adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fabian Herold ◽  
Tom Behrendt ◽  
Alexander Törpel ◽  
Dennis Hamacher ◽  
Notger G. Müller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Muscular Strength ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Younger Adults

Abstract Background There is growing evidence for a positive correlation between measures of muscular strength and cognitive abilities. However, the neurophysiological correlates of this relationship are not well understood so far. The aim of this study was to investigate cortical hemodynamics [i.e., changes in concentrations of oxygenated (oxyHb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxyHb)] as a possible link between measures of muscular strength and cognitive performance. Methods In a cohort of younger adults (n = 39, 18–30 years), we assessed (i) handgrip strength by a handhold dynamometer, (ii) short-term working memory performance by using error rates and reaction times in the Sternberg task, and (iii) cortical hemodynamics of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Results We observed low to moderate negative correlations (rp =  ~ − 0.38 to − 0.51; p < 0.05) between reaction time and levels of oxyHb in specific parts of the PFC. Furthermore, we noticed low to moderate positive correlations (rp =  ~ 0.34 to 0.45; p < 0.05) between reaction times and levels of deoxyHb in distinct parts of the PFC. Additionally, higher levels of oxyHb (rp (35) = 0.401; p = 0.014) and lower levels of deoxyHb (rp (34) = − 0.338; p = 0.043) in specific parts of the PFC were linked to higher percentage of correct answers. We also found low to moderate correlations (p < 0.05) between measures of handgrip strength and levels of oxyHb (rp =  ~ 0.35; p < 0.05) and levels of deoxyHb (rp =  ~ − 0.25 to − 0.49; p < 0.05) in specific parts of the PFC. However, there was neither a correlation between cognitive performance and handgrip strength nor did cortical hemodynamics in the PFC mediate the relationship between handgrip strength and cognitive performance (p > 0.05). Conclusion The present study provides evidence for a positive neurobehavioral relationship between cortical hemodynamics and cognitive performance. Our findings further imply that in younger adults higher levels of handgrip strength positively influence cortical hemodynamics although the latter did not necessarily culminate in better cognitive performance. Future research should examine whether the present findings can be generalized to other cohorts (e.g., older adults).

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