Increase in prefrontal cortex blood flow during the computer version trail making test.
OBJECTIVE
Previous studies using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) have reported increases in both oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxyHb) during the paper version Trail Making Test (TMT), a neuropsychological test for evaluating cognitive and executive functions. We measured oxyHb and deoxyHb in the prefrontal cortex during the computer version TMT.


METHODS
Fifteen healthy students first performed TMT-A and then TMT-B; another 7 students first performed TMT-B and then TMT-A. The mean concentrations of Hb (10 s before TMT, during TMT and 30-40 s after TMT) were determined and analyzed by ANOVA.


RESULTS
oxyHb increased while deoxyHb decreased during the TMT. There was a significant order effect on the change in deoxyHb, but not in oxyHb. oxyHb significantly increased in the bilateral prefrontal cortices both in TMT-A and TMT-B. The increase tended to be more prominent in TMT-B than in TMT-A. deoxyHb significantly decreased in the bilateral prefrontal cortices, both in TMT-A and TMT-B.


CONCLUSIONS
The results suggest that blood flow increases in the prefrontal cortex during the performance of TMT, and that the bilateral prefrontal cortices are involved in the performance of the computer version TMT.
Kubo
Masako
M
Graduate School of Health Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan. makotake99@yahoo.co.jp
Shoshi
Chikahumi
C
Kitawaki
Tomoki
T
Takemoto
Rika
R
Kinugasa
Kazushi
K
Yoshida
Hidenori
H
Honda
Chiho
C
Okamoto
Motoi
M
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003201:Computers; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000502:physiology*; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D014145:Trail Making Test; D055815:Young Adult
D006454:Hemoglobins