title: Structural Differences in Gray Matter between Glider Pilots and Non-Pilots. A Voxel-Based Morphometry Study.
abstract: Glider flying is a unique skill that requires pilots to control an aircraft at high speeds in three dimensions and amidst frequent full-body rotations. In the present study, we investigated the neural correlates of flying a glider using voxel-based morphometry. The comparison between gray matter densities of 15 glider pilots and a control group of 15 non-pilots exhibited significant gray matter density increases in left ventral premotor cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and the supplementary eye field. We posit that the identified regions might be associated with cognitive and motor processes related to flying, such as joystick control, visuo-vestibular interaction, and oculomotor control.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) , Kyoto , Japan ; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology , Okinawa , Japan.
authors.forename: Tosif
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ahamed
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) , Kyoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Motoaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawanabe
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Mechanisms Laboratories, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR) , Kyoto , Japan ; Kyoto University , Kyoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.affiliation: Center for Information and Neural Networks (CiNet), National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT), Osaka University , Osaka , Japan ; Multisensory Cognition and Computation Laboratory, Universal Communication Research Institute, National Institute of Information and Communications Technology , Kyoto , Japan.
authors.forename: Daniel E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Callan
keywords: anterior cingulate cortex (ACC, RCZa); experience-dependent plasticity; supplementary eye field; ventral premotor cortex (PMv); vestibular habituation; vestibulo-ocular reflex; voxel-based morphometry (VBM)