Brain Activity During a Visual Stimulation Task Performed Alone and with an Auditory Task

Abstract: Dual processing of visual and auditory stimuli has been reported to reduce performance. However, assessment of brain activity during tasks that use both visual and auditory senses has seldom been reported. The purpose of this study was to compare brain activity during a visual reaction task performed alone and at the same time as an auditory task. Near-infrared spectroscopy was used to measure hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex during task performance. Probes were placed on the surface of the scalp over the prefrontal cortex and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 46). Brain activation patterns were measured during performance of a visual reaction task with and without concurrent performance of an auditory task. Oxygenated hemoglobin concentration was larger when the visual reaction task was performed alone than when the visual reaction task was performed with an auditory task. These results suggest that dual performance of visual and auditory tasks affected brain activity and that dual performance of visual and auditory tasks may reduce brain activity and performance.

Keywords: fNIRS, Prefrontal Cortex, OxyHb, Brain Activation

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe100218

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