title: Functional connectivity analysis using fNIRS in healthy subjects during prolonged simulated driving.
abstract: Noninvasive and accurate assessment of driving fatigue in relation to brain activity during long-term driving can contribute to traffic safety and accident prevention. This study evaluated functional connectivity (FC) in relevant brain regions. Synergistic mechanisms in different brain regions were detected by a novel simulator, which combined semi-immersive virtual reality technology and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Each subject was instructed to complete driving tasks coupled with a mental calculation task. Wavelet coherence (WCO) and wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) were calculated and assessed in frequency intervals (I) 0.6-2 and (II) 0.145-0.6Hz as global connectivity measures; (III) 0.052-0.145, (IV) 0.021-0.052, (V) 0.0095-0.021 and (VI) 0.005-0.0095Hz as FC. WCO and WPCO revealed the strength and synchronization of cerebral connectivity, respectively. Significantly low WCO levels were found in intervals I and III in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and IV in motor cortex (MC) at the end of the driving task. Furthermore, significantly low WPCO were found in intervals I, and III in PFC and interval IV in MC. Experimental findings suggested that progressive mental fatigue adversely influences the cognitive function in the PFC and the cooperative mechanism between the PFC and MC.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, PR China.
authors.forename: Liwei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, PR China.
authors.forename: Bitian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, PR China.
authors.forename: Gongcheng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, PR China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of High Efficiency and Clean Mechanical Manufacture, School of Mechanical Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan, 250061, PR China.
authors.forename: Zhian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Aids Technology and System of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing, 100176, PR China. Electronic address: lizengyong@nrcrta.cn.
authors.forename: Zengyong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001334:Automobile Driving; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005221:Fatigue / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D058067:Wavelet Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Driving fatigue; Functional connectivity; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Wavelet coherence; Wavelet phase coherence