Comparison of Usability and Prefrontal Cortex Activity of Cognitive-Motor Training Programs using Sensor-Based Interactive Systems

Abstract

Objective: Cognitive-motor trainings had a positive impact on cognitive function and dual-task trainings led to improvements of global cognitive function. The brain activity of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is another indicator that can infer cognitive function. This study aims to confirm the usability of the interactive system cognitive-motor training program and the changes in the prefrontal cortex through training. Design: Cross-sectional studyMethods: In this study, two cognitive tasks were randomly applied to 20 adults as cognitive-motor training using an interactive system, and the same task was performed using the original method. During all tasks, the brain activity of the prefrontal cortex was measured by the change in oxyhemoglobin (HbO) in real-time using Functional Near-Infrastructure. After performing the tasks, the usability of the developed interactive system was evaluated by a usability questionnaire which consists of five items, and each item consists of a 7-point Likert scale that responds from 1 point to 7 points. Results: The HbO levels were increased during cognitive task performance than at the resting phase. And evaluating the usefulness of the interactive system, a questionnaire result showed that it would be useful for cognitive-motor programs. Conclusions: The cognitive-motor training using the interactive system increased the activity of the prefrontal cortex, and the developed wearable sensor-based interactive system confirmed its usefulness.