A Characterization of Brain Area Activation in Orienteers with Different Map-Recognition Memory Ability Task Levels—Based on fNIRS Evidence

Abstract

Background: Mapping memory ability is highly correlated with an orienteer’s level, and spatial memory tasks of different difficulties can reveal the spatial cognitive characteristics of high-level athletes. Methods: An “expert–novice” experimental paradigm was used to monitor behavioral performance and changes in cerebral blood oxygen concentration in orienteering athletes with tasks of different difficulty and cognitive load using functional near-infrared spectroscopic imaging (fNIRS). Results: (1) there was no difference between high-/low-level athletes’ map recognition and memory abilities in the non-orienteering scenario; (2) with increasing task difficulty, both high-/low-level athletes showed significantly decreasing behavioral performance, reduced correctness, longer reaction time, and strengthened cerebral blood oxygen activation concentration. There was no significant difference in L-DLPFC cerebral oxygen concentration between high-/low-level athletes in the simple map task, and the cerebral oxygen concentration in all brain regions was lower in the expert group than in the novice group in the rest of the task difficulty levels; (3) the correctness rate in the expert group in the complex task was closely related to the activation of the right hemisphere (R-DLPFC, R-VLPFC). Conclusions: Experts have a specific cognitive advantage in map-recognition memory, showing higher task performance and lower cerebral blood oxygen activation; cognitive load constrains map-recognition memory-specific ability and produces different performance effects and brain activation changes on spatial memory processing.

Dynamics of the Prefrontal Cortex in the Interplay of Orienteering Experience and Cognitive Performance: An fNIRS Investigation

“…This heightened focus, coupled with task difficulty, contributed to enhanced blood oxygen concentration 53 . Studies investigating spatial perception also revealed that activation of the left VLPFC was significantly higher in novices compared to experts in real-world scenarios 54 .…”

“…Therefore, both spatial memory and mental rotation are a kind of cognitive ability 19 . Relevant studies have pointed out that expert orienteering athletes show a certain advantage in spatial memory ability in specialized scenarios 20,21 , caused by the reasons mainly stemming from the perennial sports experience and specialized training 22 . It has also been pointed out that orienteering athletes' mental rotation ability constrains the efficiency of map literacy, and that sports experience can influence the development of cognitive abilities by changing the structure and function of the brain 23 .…”

Assessment of learning in simulator‐based arthroscopy training with the diagnostic arthroscopy skill score (DASS) and neurophysiological measures

“…The involvement of novices and experts was significantly higher in the fundamentals of training tasks than in tasks in the knee module (if the effect size, d > 0.8, then significant with p < 0.05). This suggests that both groups had focused on most of the tasks, especially the RDLPFC area, which is reported to be associated with spatial navigation tasks [22, 33].…”

Exploring the dynamics of prefrontal cortex in the interaction between orienteering experience and cognitive performance by fNIRS

“…Therefore, both spatial memory and mental rotation are a kind of cognitive ability 19 . Relevant studies have pointed out that expert orienteering athletes show a certain advantage in spatial memory ability in specialized scenarios 20 , 21 , caused by the reasons mainly stemming from the perennial sports experience and specialized training 22 . It has also been pointed out that orienteering athletes’ mental rotation ability constrains the efficiency of map literacy, and that sports experience can influence the development of cognitive abilities by changing the structure and function of the brain 16 .…”