Relationship between prefrontal function during a cognitive task and social functioning in male Japanese workers: A multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy study

• Published in: Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging Vol. 214; no. 1; pp. 73 - 79
• Main Authors: Pu, Shenghong, Nakagome, Kazuyuki, Yamada, Takeshi, Yokoyama, Katsutoshi, Matsumura, Hiroshi, Terachi, Sayaka, Mitani, Hideaki, Adachi, Akiko, Kaneko, Koichi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 30.10.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adaptations; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition - physiology; Humans; Japan; Male; Medical sciences; Memory, Short-Term - physiology; Middle Aged; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Neuropsychological Tests; Prefrontal Cortex - metabolism; Prefrontal function; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Radiology; Self Report; Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale; Social Adjustment; Social Behavior; Social functioning; Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; Workers; Working memory; Japan; Prefrontal function; Working memory; Social functioning; Workers; Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale; Near-infrared spectroscopy; Human; Self evaluation; Evaluation scale; Central nervous system; Psychometrics; Social adjustment; Male; Cognition; Prefrontal cortex; Japanese; Encephalon; Near infrared spectrometry; Social behavior; Social interaction; Worker
• ISSN: 0925-4927; 1872-7506
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2013.05.011

Abstract To investigate whether prefrontal function during a cognitive task reflects the social functioning of male Japanese workers, prefrontal function during a working memory task in 181 male workers was measured by multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Social functioning was assessed using the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale (SASS). The results indicated that cortical oxygenation level increases in dorsolateral prefrontal region showed significant positive correlations with the interest and motivation factor scores on the SASS. These results suggest that dorsolateral prefrontal function is associated with the interest and motivation factor in social functioning in male workers and that NIRS could be an addition to the medical tools for monitoring these characteristics on mental health examination.