Evaluation of cognitive performance in the heat by functional brain imaging and psychometric testing
Evaluation of cognitive performance in the heat by functional brain imaging and psychometric testing
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DOI：
10.1016/s1095-6433(01)00278-1
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发表时间：
2001-04-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Roberts, W
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hocking, C;Silberstein, RB;Roberts, W
热带环境中的军事行动对澳大利亚国防军构成了重大挑战。众所周知，炎热和潮湿的条件会对部署在澳大利亚北方地区的士兵造成虚弱的影响，其后果是严重损害了行动的效力和效率。虽然热应激对士兵生理能力的不利影响已得到充分证实，但对认知能力的影响尚未得到证实。选择范围的心理测试管理和功能性脑电活动成像进行调查热应激对认知性能的影响。在进行一系列认知任务时，测量了受试者的脑电活动。采用稳态探针脑地形图（SSPT）这一新的脑成像技术，监测热应激下受试者局部脑活动和神经处理速度的变化。心理测量测试包括以下任务：Rey听觉言语学习测试;检查时间;数字广度测试;空间工作记忆任务;和AX-连续性能任务。这些任务测量一系列认知过程，包括注意力、记忆力、语言学习、信息处理和注意力。功能性脑成像提供了地形信息，显示了认知过程中热应激反应的电活动变化。热应激引起的脑电活动和神经速度的这些变化可能有助于识别在操作条件下可能受损的认知功能类型。结果表明，受试者经历了增加的心血管应变，通过热中性热应变条件。心理测量测试组合的结果显示，在小样本的情况下，包括工作记忆、信息保持和信息处理方面的缺陷，有一些有希望的效果。当受试者热紧张时，大脑的电反应也有明显的差异。稳态视觉诱发电位记录显示振幅增加和潜伏期减少，表明受试者利用神经资源或努力增加，以保持与热中性条件下相同的性能水平。这些数据表明，具有高时间分辨率的脑成像技术的高灵敏度，以确定在敌对环境中的认知性能的重要递减。(C)2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.
Military operations in tropical environments have imposed a significant challenge to the Australian Defence Forces (ADF). The hot and humid conditions are known to cause debilitating effects on soldiers deployed to northern regions of Australia, with the consequence that the effectiveness and efficiency of operations are severely compromised. While the adverse effects of thermal stress on soldiers' physiological capability are well established, this has not been confirmed for cognitive performance. A select range of psychometric tests were administered and functional brain electrical activity imaging was performed to investigate the impact of thermal stress on cognitive performance. The brain electrical activity of subjects was measured while undertaking a range of cognitive tasks. Steady State Probe Topography (SSPT), a novel brain imaging technology, was employed to monitor the changes in regional brain activity and neural processing speed of subjects under thermal stress. The psychometric test batteries included the following tasks; Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test; Inspection Time; Digit Span test; a spatial working memory task; and the AX-continuous performance task. These tasks measure a range of cognitive processes including attention, memory, verbal learning, information processing and concentration. The functional brain imaging provided topographical information, which showed changes in electrical activity in response to thermal stress during cognitive performance. These changes in brain electrical activity and neural speed induced by thermal stress may help to identify the type of cognitive functions that are likely to be impaired under operational conditions. Results indicated that subjects experienced increasing cardiovascular strain through thermally neutral to thermally straining conditions. The results from the psychometric test battery showed some promising effects given the small sample size including deficits in working memory, in information retention and in information processing. There was also marked differences in the electrical responses of the brain when subjects were thermally strained. The Steady-State Visual Evoked Potential recordings showed an increase in amplitude and a decrease in latency, suggesting an increase in the utilisation of neural resources or effort by subjects to maintain the same level of performance as under thermally neutral conditions. The data are suggestive of the high sensitivity of brain imaging techniques with high temporal resolution to identify important decrements in cognitive performance in hostile environments. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.