Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Analysis of Brain Functioning while Distracted

In this study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) will be used to observe the brain activity of healthy adults as they complete concurrent cognitive tasks in the presence of optical flow simulation. There are a variety of factors that can affect brain activity. This work will focus on level of experience and age. Here, level of experience refers to the amount of time the subject has spent in an optical flow environment. Professional drivers and pilots will be considered experts while others will be considered novices. As age can also play a role in brain activation levels we will compare results from young adults (25-35 years) with older adults (36-65 years). All the subjects will undergo stationary visual conditions and OFS conditions with concurrent cognitive tasks. We will compare the brain images from the test conditions between the two groups and investigate if the brain activity will affect the reaction time performance. The goal of this study is to demonstrate proof of concept and to generate pilot data from which a more comprehensive study can be planned

Scholars @ ECU