A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Examination of the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Shifting in Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Hui Li; Dandan Wu; Jinfeng Yang; Sha Xie; Jiutong Luo; Chunqi Chang

doi:10.3389/fnhum.2020.561223

A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Examination of the Neural Correlates of Cognitive Shifting in Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Front Hum Neurosci. 2021 Jan 21:14:561223. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.561223. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Hui Li¹, Dandan Wu¹, Jinfeng Yang², Sha Xie³, Jiutong Luo⁴, Chunqi Chang²

Affiliations

¹ School of Education, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
² School of Biomedical Engineering, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
³ Normal College, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
⁴ Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.

Abstract

This study aims to examine the neural correlates of cognitive shifting during the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (DCCS) task with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Altogether 49 children completed the DCCS tasks, and 25 children (M_age = 68.66, SD = 5.3) passing all items were classified into the Switch group. Twenty children (M _age = 62.05, SD = 8.13) committing more than one perseverative errors were grouped into the Perseverate group. The Switch group had Brodmann Area (BA) 9 and 10 activated in the pre-switch period and BA 6, 9, 10, 40, and 44 in the post-switch period. In contrast, the Perseverate group had BA 9 and 10 activated in the pre-switch period and BA 8, 9, 10 in the post-switch period. The general linear model results afford strong support to the "V-shape curve" hypothesis by identifying a significant decrease-increase cycle in BA 9 and 44, the neural correlations of cognitive shifting.

Keywords: cognitive shifting; developmental pattern; dimensional change card sort task; functional near-infrared spectroscopy; neural correlates.