@article{ref1,
title="Shedding light on the prefrontal correlates of mental workload in simulated driving: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study",
journal="Scientific reports",
year="2021",
author="Frings, Christian and Schneider, Jörn and Geissler, Christoph F.",
volume="11",
number="1",
pages="e705-e705",
abstract="Optimal mental workload plays a key role in driving performance. Thus, driver-assisting systems that automatically adapt to a drivers current mental  workload via brain-computer interfacing might greatly contribute to traffic safety. To design economic brain computer interfaces that do not compromise driver comfort,  it is necessary to identify brain areas that are most sensitive to mental workload  changes. In this study, we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy and subjective  ratings to measure mental workload in two virtual driving environments with distinct  demands. We found that demanding city environments induced both higher subjective  workload ratings as well as higher bilateral middle frontal gyrus activation than  less demanding country environments. A further analysis with higher spatial  resolution revealed a center of activation in the right anterior dorsolateral  prefrontal cortex. The area is highly involved in spatial working memory processing. Thus, a main component of drivers' mental workload in complex surroundings might  stem from the fact that large amounts of spatial information about the course of the  road as well as other road users has to constantly be upheld, processed and updated. We propose that the right middle frontal gyrus might be a suitable region for the  application of powerful small-area brain computer interfaces.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2045-2322",
doi="10.1038/s41598-020-80477-w",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80477-w"
}