Open Access
10 December 2019 Mapping cortical network effects of fatigue during a handgrip task by functional near-infrared spectroscopy in physically active and inactive subjects
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Abstract

The temporal evolution of cortical activation and connectivity patterns during a fatiguing handgrip task were studied by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Twenty-three young adults (18 to 35 years old) were recruited to use a handheld force sensor to perform intermittent handgrip contractions with their dominant hand at their personal maximum voluntary contraction force level for 3.5 s followed by 6.5 s of rest for 120 blocks. Subjects were divided into self-reported physically active and inactive groups, and their hemodynamic activity over the prefrontal and sensory-motor cortices (111 channels) was mapped while they performed this task. Using this fNIRS setup, a more detailed time sequence of cortical activation and connectivity patterns was observed compared to prior studies. A temporal evolution sequence of hemodynamic activation patterns was noted, which was different between the active and the inactive groups. Physically active subjects demonstrated delayed fatigue onset and significantly longer-lasting and more spatially extended functional connectivity (FC) patterns, compared to inactive subjects. The observed differences in activation and FC suggested differences in cortical network adaptation patterns as fatigue set in, which were dependent on subjects’ physical activity. The findings of this study suggest that physical activity increases FC with regions involved in motor task control and correlates to extended fatigue onset and enhanced performance.

CC BY: © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.
Elizabeth L. Urquhart, Hashini Wanniarachchi, Xinlong Wang, Hanli Liu, Paul J. Fadel, and George Alexandrakis "Mapping cortical network effects of fatigue during a handgrip task by functional near-infrared spectroscopy in physically active and inactive subjects," Neurophotonics 6(4), 045011 (10 December 2019). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.NPh.6.4.045011
Received: 20 August 2019; Accepted: 19 November 2019; Published: 10 December 2019
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CITATIONS
Cited by 13 scholarly publications.
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KEYWORDS
Hemodynamics

Sensors

Brain

Neuroimaging

Near infrared spectroscopy

Neurophotonics

Prefrontal cortex

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