Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study
An improvement in ecological validity is one of the significant challenges for 21st-century neuroscience. At the same time, the study of neurocognitive processes in real-life situations requires good control of all variables relevant to the results. One possible solution that combines the capability...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Sensors |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/9/3133 |
| _version_ | 1797502925055983616 |
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| author | Dariusz Zapała Paweł Augustynowicz Mikhail Tokovarov |
| author_facet | Dariusz Zapała Paweł Augustynowicz Mikhail Tokovarov |
| author_sort | Dariusz Zapała |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An improvement in ecological validity is one of the significant challenges for 21st-century neuroscience. At the same time, the study of neurocognitive processes in real-life situations requires good control of all variables relevant to the results. One possible solution that combines the capability of creating realistic experimental scenarios with adequate control of the test environment is virtual reality. Our goal was to develop an integrative research workspace involving a CW-fNIRS and head-mounted-display (HMD) technology dedicated to offline and online cognitive experiments. We designed an experimental study in a repeated-measures model on a group of BCI-naïve participants to verify our assumptions. The procedure included a 3D environment-adapted variant of the classic n-back task (2-back version). Tasks were divided into offline (calibration) and online (feedback) sessions. In both sessions, the signal was recorded during the cognitive task for within-group comparisons of changes in oxy-Hb concentration in the regions of interest (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-DLPFC and middle frontal gyrus-MFG). In the online session, the recorded signal changes were translated into real-time feedback. We hypothesized that it would be possible to obtain significantly higher than the level-of-chance threshold classification accuracy for the enhanced attention engagement (2-back task) vs. relaxed state in both conditions. Additionally, we measured participants′ subjective experiences of the BCI control in terms of satisfaction. Our results confirmed hypotheses regarding the offline condition. In accordance with the hypotheses, combining fNIRS and HMD technologies enables the effective transfer of experimental cognitive procedures to a controlled VR environment. This opens the new possibility of creating more ecologically valid studies and training procedures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:43:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8c8c4fce071e484887eeb76cba14c714 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-8220 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:43:07Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Sensors |
| spelling | doaj.art-8c8c4fce071e484887eeb76cba14c7142023-11-23T09:13:56ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202022-04-01229313310.3390/s22093133Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS StudyDariusz Zapała0Paweł Augustynowicz1Mikhail Tokovarov2Department of Experimental Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, PolandDepartment of Experimental Psychology, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, PolandInstitute of Computer Science, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Lublin University of Technology, 20-618 Lublin, PolandAn improvement in ecological validity is one of the significant challenges for 21st-century neuroscience. At the same time, the study of neurocognitive processes in real-life situations requires good control of all variables relevant to the results. One possible solution that combines the capability of creating realistic experimental scenarios with adequate control of the test environment is virtual reality. Our goal was to develop an integrative research workspace involving a CW-fNIRS and head-mounted-display (HMD) technology dedicated to offline and online cognitive experiments. We designed an experimental study in a repeated-measures model on a group of BCI-naïve participants to verify our assumptions. The procedure included a 3D environment-adapted variant of the classic n-back task (2-back version). Tasks were divided into offline (calibration) and online (feedback) sessions. In both sessions, the signal was recorded during the cognitive task for within-group comparisons of changes in oxy-Hb concentration in the regions of interest (the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex-DLPFC and middle frontal gyrus-MFG). In the online session, the recorded signal changes were translated into real-time feedback. We hypothesized that it would be possible to obtain significantly higher than the level-of-chance threshold classification accuracy for the enhanced attention engagement (2-back task) vs. relaxed state in both conditions. Additionally, we measured participants′ subjective experiences of the BCI control in terms of satisfaction. Our results confirmed hypotheses regarding the offline condition. In accordance with the hypotheses, combining fNIRS and HMD technologies enables the effective transfer of experimental cognitive procedures to a controlled VR environment. This opens the new possibility of creating more ecologically valid studies and training procedures.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/9/3133fNIRSBCIvirtual realityn-backhead-mounted displayDLPFC |
| spellingShingle | Dariusz Zapała Paweł Augustynowicz Mikhail Tokovarov Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study Sensors fNIRS BCI virtual reality n-back head-mounted display DLPFC |
| title | Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study |
| title_full | Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study |
| title_fullStr | Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study |
| title_short | Recognition of Attentional States in VR Environment: An fNIRS Study |
| title_sort | recognition of attentional states in vr environment an fnirs study |
| topic | fNIRS BCI virtual reality n-back head-mounted display DLPFC |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/22/9/3133 |
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