Sains Malaysiana 51(3)(2022): 823-834

http://doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2022-5103-16

Simple Coordination and Cognitive Stimulation Activities for Cognitive Function Assessments using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

(Aktiviti Koordinasi Mudah dan Rangsangan Kognitif bagi Penilaian Fungsi Kognitif menggunakan Spektroskopi Inframerah Dekat Berfungsi)

NORSHAM JULIANA¹, IZUDDIN FAHMY ABU^2,*, MOHAMAD HAIQAL NIZAR MOHAMAD², MUHAMMAD FATTAH FAZEL², NURUL ATHIRAH RANI², NUR ZAFIRAH FARHANA ZAFREEN², NOR AZILA NOH¹, ZALHAN MD YUSUF³, MUHAMMAD HAFIZ LAILI³ & SRIJIT DAS⁴

¹Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Persiaran Ilmu, Putra Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia

²Institute of Medical Science Technology, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

  ³MIMOS Berhad, Technology Park Malaysia, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

  ⁴Human & Clinical Anatomy Department, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Sultanate of Oman

Received: 28 February 2021/Accepted: 11 August 2021

Abstract

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive and high-density imaging device used for the evaluation of cognitive functions by measuring the oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO) and deoxygenated haemoglobin (HHb) levels in the prefrontal cortex. The present study determined the utilisation of fNIRS in detecting cerebral haemoglobin oxygenation level during coordination and simple cognitive stimulation activities in healthy young volunteers. Thirty subjects comprising equally of both genders were recruited. Subjects were tasked with coordination tests (plate tapping and block transfer tests) and cognitive stimulation activities (ruler drop test and MRAVLT) while the fNIRS system was attached to their prefrontal cortex area. The HbO and HHb levels were recorded and analysed using Repeated Measures ANOVA. The HbO levels during coordination tests differ significantly from resting state (p<0.05) in all but channel 2. All coordination tests elevated HbO levels compared to resting state except during block transfer test in channel 1. No significant difference was observed in HHb levels between coordination tests and resting state in all channels (p>0.05), except channel 3. All cognitive stimulation activities increased HbO levels compared to resting state; this change was significant in channels 3 and 4 (p<0.05). In contrast, HHb levels during all cognitive tests were lower compared to the resting state and was found to be significant in channels 2 and 3 (p<0.05). These findings suggested that coordination and cognitive stimulation activities activate prefrontal cortex in healthy young adults and could be potentially utilised as a valid screening tool for cognitive function assessments via fNIRS.

Keywords: Brain monitoring; cognitive stimulation; coordination test; fNIRS; functional near-infrared spectroscopy

Abstrak

Spektroskopi Inframerah Dekat Berfungsi (fNIRS) ialah peranti pengimejan berketumpatan tinggi yang tidak invasif dan mampu menilai fungsi kognitif berdasarkan tahap pengoksigenan (HbO) dan dioksigen (HHb) hemoglobin pada bahagian korteks prefrontal otak. Kajian ini menganalisis penggunaan fNIRS untuk mengesan tahap oksigenasi hemoglobin otak serebral semasa ujian koordinasi dan aktiviti stimulasi kognitif ringkas dalam kalangan sukarelawan yang muda dan sihat. 30 subjek (15 lelaki dan 15 perempuan) dipilih menyertai kajian. Subjek perlu melakukan ujian koordinasi (ujian mengetuk plat dan pemindahan blok) dan aktiviti stimulasi kognitif (ujian jatuhan pembaris dan MRAVLT) dengan sistem fNIRS terpasang pada dahi subjek. Tahap HbO dan HHb direkod dan dianalisis menggunakan ANOVA Pengukuran Berulang. Tahap HbO semasa aktiviti koordinasi berbeza secara signifikan berbanding sewaktu rehat bagi kesemua saluran (p<0.05) kecuali saluran 2. Semua ujian koordinasi meningkatkan tahap HbO berbanding rehat kecuali semasa ujian pemindahan blok di saluran 1. Tiada perbezaan signifikan bagi tahap HHb sewaktu aktiviti koordinasi berbanding rehatpada semua saluran (p>0.05) kecuali saluran 3. Semua aktiviti stimulasi kognitif meningkatkan tahap HbO berbanding rehat, dengan peningkatan signifikan diperhatikan di saluran 3 dan 4 (p<0.05). Manakala, tahap HHb menurun semasa aktiviti stimulasi kognitif berbanding rehat, dengan penurunan signifikan direkodkan di saluran 2 dan 3 (p<0.05). Hasil kajian menunjukkan bahawa aktiviti koordinasi dan stimulasi kognitif mengaktifkan bahagian korteks prefrontal dalam kalangan subjek yang sihat dan berpotensi digunakan sebagai alat penilaian fungsi kognitif melalui aplikasi fNIRS.

Kata kunci: fNIRS; pemantauan otak; pengimejan neuro; stimulasi kognitif; ujian koordinasi

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^*Corresponding author; email: izuddin@unikl.edu.my