An fNIRS Examination of the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Shifting in DCCS Task

• In Event: Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Topic - Cognitive Processes

Abstract

Introduction

Cognitive shifting is a kind of ability to switch between different mental sets tasks flexibly and is widely regarded as a remarkable milestone in early cognitive development (Buss & Spencer, 2014; Perone et al., 2015, 2019). Recent neuroimaging studies have examined cognitive shifting using the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) (Moriguchi, 2017; Morriguchi & Hiraki, 2009, 2011, 2013). These studies analyzed the changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) between the task and baseline conditions and, accordingly, have included all the activated brain areas involved in the task. This is problematic as some brain areas are generally involved in the background and supportive systems; only a few areas are exclusively responsible for the cognitive shifting needed in the DCCS task. Thus, the specific neural correlates responsible for cognitive shifting could not be identified using the existing paradigm.

Habituation is one of the fundamental mechanisms underlying human beings' cognition and behavior: when the same stimulus is repeated, there will be reduced response from the same neural correlates and, accordingly decrease in HbO in the blood (Purves et al., 2018). The DCCS task has similar habituation and novelty detection paradigm: the repeated sorting tasks in the pre-switch period will cause habituation, and the new sorting task in the post-switch period will cause novelty and dishabituation. Accordingly, we assume that there should be a significant decrease in HbO (habituation) in the pre-switch period and a significant increase in HbO (dishabituation) in the post-switch period. A U-shaped curve should therefore be found in the general linear modeling.

The following question guided this study: What are the neural correlates of cognitive shifting indicated by the fNIRS evidence?

Methods

Altogether 56 right-handed preschoolers participated in this study, and seven of them failed to complete the experiments, resulting in a final sample of 49 children. Children completed three sessions of the DCCS task, and their brain activity was recorded using the fNIRS instrument by measuring changes in hemoglobin concentrations in the outer cortex (Figure 1). Twenty children (Mage = 62.05, SD = 8.13), who committed perseverative errors during at least one of the three assigned sessions were classified into No-Pass Group (Nno-pass = 20, MDCCS = 28.2, SD = 6.83) and the rest into the Pass Group (Npass =25, MDCCS = 36, SD = 0).

Results

Two sets of GLM analyses were conducted to model the changes in HbO for the Pass and No-Pass groups, respectively, to test the U-shape curve hypothesis. The GLM analysis results have identified a significant habituation-plus-dishabituation cycle in BA 9 and BA 44 for the Pass group and BA 9, BA 10, and BA 44 for the No-Pass group (Figure 2). All these results jointly indicated that BA 9 and BA 44 might be the real neural correlates of the cognitive shifting, whereas BA 10 might play a compensatory role for the No-Pass group.

Group Authors

Wu, Dandan
Yang, Jinfeng
Luo, Jiutong
Chang, Chunqi
Li, Hui

Authors

• Sha Xie, Shenzhen University
  Presenting Author

• Dandan Wu, Macquarie University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jinfeng Yang (JF), Henan Provincial People's Hospital
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jiutong Luo, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Chunqi Chang, Shenzhen University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Hui Li, Macquarie University
  Non-Presenting Author