TY - GEN
T1 - Functional brain network analysis reveals time-on-task related performance decline
AU - Sun, Yu
AU - Bezerianos, Anastasios
AU - Thakor, Nitish
AU - Li, Jinsong
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the ‘Hundred Talents Program’ of Zhejiang University (awarded to Yu SUN) and Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universies (Grant no. 2018QNA5017, awarded to Yu SUN). Asterisk indicates the corresponding author.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 IEEE.
PY - 2018/10/26
Y1 - 2018/10/26
N2 - Because of the undesired consequences, particularly seen in deteriorated performance in real-word workspace, continuous efforts have been made to understand time-on-task (TOT) related mental fatigue. However, our understanding of the underlying neural mechanism of TOT is still rudimentary. In this study, EEG signals were recorded from 26 subjects undergoing a 20-min mentally-demanding psychomotor vigilance test. Instead of a mere two-point comparison (i.e., fatigue vs. vigilant), behaviour and EEG data were divided into 4 quartiles for better revealing the progression of TOT effect. We then employed advanced graph theoretical approach to quantify TOT effect in terms of global and local reorganisation of EEG functional connectivity within the lower alpha (8-10 Hz) band. Interestingly, we found a development trend towards disintegrated network topology with the TOT effect, as seen in significantly increased characteristic path length and reduced small-worldness. Moreover, we found TOT-related reduced local property of interconnectivity in left frontal and central areas with an increased local property in right parietal areas. These findings augment our understanding of how the brain reorganises following the accumulation of prolonged task and demonstrate the feasibility of using network metrics as neural biomarkers for mental fatigue assessment.
AB - Because of the undesired consequences, particularly seen in deteriorated performance in real-word workspace, continuous efforts have been made to understand time-on-task (TOT) related mental fatigue. However, our understanding of the underlying neural mechanism of TOT is still rudimentary. In this study, EEG signals were recorded from 26 subjects undergoing a 20-min mentally-demanding psychomotor vigilance test. Instead of a mere two-point comparison (i.e., fatigue vs. vigilant), behaviour and EEG data were divided into 4 quartiles for better revealing the progression of TOT effect. We then employed advanced graph theoretical approach to quantify TOT effect in terms of global and local reorganisation of EEG functional connectivity within the lower alpha (8-10 Hz) band. Interestingly, we found a development trend towards disintegrated network topology with the TOT effect, as seen in significantly increased characteristic path length and reduced small-worldness. Moreover, we found TOT-related reduced local property of interconnectivity in left frontal and central areas with an increased local property in right parietal areas. These findings augment our understanding of how the brain reorganises following the accumulation of prolonged task and demonstrate the feasibility of using network metrics as neural biomarkers for mental fatigue assessment.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85056628872&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85056628872&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512265
DO - 10.1109/EMBC.2018.8512265
M3 - Conference contribution
C2 - 30440390
AN - SCOPUS:85056628872
T3 - Proceedings of the Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBS
SP - 271
EP - 274
BT - 40th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2018
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 40th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, EMBC 2018
Y2 - 18 July 2018 through 21 July 2018
ER -