Relationship between finger blood flow and cerebral blood oxygenation during concentrated finger perception.

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We hypothesized that the changes in blood flow of the finger during concentrated finger perception reflect cerebral cortex activation. To identify this hypothesis, we measured finger skin blood flow (FSBF) and cerebral blood oxygenation (CBO2) in prefrontal cortical areas during Braille reading performed under the blind condition. FSBF was decreased during Braille reading (decreased by -32%). On the other hand, CBO2 was increased during Braille reading (increased by 2%). These responses to the discrimination task were also observed in elderly peoples. Moreover, a significant relationship was observed between the changes in FSBF and CBO2 (r = -0.42). The responses in FSBF and CBO2 became gradually fast by leaning effect evoked by repeated tests. These findings suggest that the modulation of finger skin blood flow during a tactile discrimination task is related to cerebrocortical activity.