Performance Types and Activation of the Prefrontal Cortex

Harumi Kobayashi; Tetsuya Yasuda

doi:10.20965/jrm.2008.p0726

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JRM Vol.20 No.5 pp. 726-730

doi: 10.20965/jrm.2008.p0726

(2008)

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Performance Types and Activation of the Prefrontal Cortex

Harumi Kobayashi and Tetsuya Yasuda

Tokyo Denki University, Graduate School of Advanced Science and Technology, Ishizaka, Hatoyama-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitama, 350-0394 Japan

Received:

February 18, 2008

Accepted:

July 4, 2008

Published:

October 20, 2008

Keywords:

skill acquisition, working memory, prefrontal cortex

Abstract

We investigated the relationship between performance types in skill acquisition and the use of the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We used a modified mirror drawing task in which participants using a pen tablet repeated the tracing of a star displayed on a screen. Changes in cerebral blood flow were measured using near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Participants conducted two tasks, mirror drawing, i.e., tracing a mirror image of a star, and an usual drawing, i.e., tracing a star. Performance was scored based on the number of errors and drawn lengths. Results suggested that two types of participants - those whose number of errors decreased when they repeated the task and those whose number of errors did not decrease. We thus concluded that (1) changes in oxy-hemoglobin concentration (Oxy-Hb) are higher in the mirror drawing task than in the usual drawing task; (2) oxy-Hb decreased in the right PFC when participants whose number of errors decreased repeated the task 4 days later, but did not decrease in the left PFC; (3) oxy-Hb decreased in the left PFC when participants whose number of errors did not decrease repeated the task 4 days later, but did not decrease in the right PFC. Our findings indicate that activation of the PFC can be used to assess skill levels in on-going tasks and may provide information on how to time assistance.

Cite this article as:

H. Kobayashi and T. Yasuda, “Performance Types and Activation of the Prefrontal Cortex,” J. Robot. Mechatron., Vol.20 No.5, pp. 726-730, 2008.

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References

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[9] H. Kobayashi, T. Yasuda, and S. Suzuki, “The relations between development of humans’ manipulative skills and physiological signals of brain and hand,” Int. Journal of Assistive Robotics and Mechatronics, 7(1), pp. 49-61, 2006.
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This article is published under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationa License.

[1] [1] F. Cincottia, D. Mattiaa, F. Aloisea, S. Bufalaria, G. Schalkb, G. Orioloc, A. Cherubinic, M. G. Marciania, and F. Babiloni, “Noninvasive brain-computer interface system: Towards its application as assistive technology,” Brain Research Bulletin, 75, pp. 796-803, 2008.

[2] [2] F. Cincottia, D. Mattiaa, F. Aloisea, S. Bufalaria, L. Astolfia, F. De Vico Fallania, A. Toccia, L. Bianchia, M. G. Marciania, S. Gaof, J.Millang, and F. Babiloni, “High-resolution EEG techniques for brain-computer interface applications,” Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 167, pp. 31-42, 2008.

[3] [3] F. Harashima and S. Suzuki, “Future of mechatronics and human machine operation skill and visual perception,” SICE Journal of Control, Measurement, and System Integration, 1(1), pp. 18-25, 2008.

[4] [4] Y. Hoshi, I. Oda, Y.Wada, Y. Ito, Y. Yamashita, M. Oda, K. Ohta, Y. Yamada, and M. Tamura, “Visuospatial imagery is a fruitful strategy for the digit span backward task: a study with near-infrared optical tomography,” Cognitive Brain Research, 9(3), pp. 339-342, 2000.

[5] [5] A. Baddeley and G. Hitch, “Working Memory,” In G. H. Bower (Ed.), The psychology of learning and motivation, Vol.8, New York: Academic Press. pp. 47-89, 1974.

[6] [6] G. Matsuda and K. Hiraki, “Sustained decrease in oxygenated hemoglobin during video games in the dorsal prefrontal cortex: A NIRS study of children,” NeuroImage, 29, pp. 706-711, 2006.

[7] [7] V. D. Calhoun, J. J. Pekar, V. B. McGinty, T. Adali, T. D. Watson, and G. D. Pearlson, “Different activationdynamics in multiple neural systems during simulated driving, Human Brain Mapping,” 16(3), pp. 158-167, 2002.

[8] [8] M. Hatakenaka, I. Miyai, M. Mihara, S. Sakoda, and K. Kubota, “Frontal regions involved in learning of motor skill –A functional NIRS study,” NeuroImage, 34, pp. 109-116, 2007.

[9] [9] H. Kobayashi, T. Yasuda, and S. Suzuki, “The relations between development of humans’ manipulative skills and physiological signals of brain and hand,” Int. Journal of Assistive Robotics and Mechatronics, 7(1), pp. 49-61, 2006.

[10] [10] J. Henderson, “Memory and forgetting,” London:Routledge, 1999.