Abstract
Background: The objective of this study was to analyze the sensory and cognitive functions associated with activated brain regions characterizing mental strategy relative to degree of expertise in aviation-related tasks. Methods: We used echo-planar functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique to examine brain activity in expert pilots (n = 6) compared with novice pilots (n = 6) during performance of a simulated aviation track-following task at 200 knots vs. 100 knots. Results: Expert pilots showed reduced activity in visual and motor regions that contrasted with predominant activation within anterior structures including the frontal and prefrontal cortices; structures involved in visual working memory, planning, selective attention and decision making functions. Novice pilots showed widespread activation of anterior and posterior brain structures, with a rise in activity in the visual, parietal and motor cortices as task difficulty increased. Conclusions: A high level of performance in the track-following task related to a high degree of expertise in the aviation field. This corresponded to experts performing perceptual and mnemonic processing through a network of specialized functions from visual through multiple prefrontal areas. By contrast, the novice pilots predominantly show activity associated with non-specific perceptual processing and without subsequent representation of selective information in working memory.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1218-1231 |
| Number of pages | 14 |
| Journal | Aviation Space and Environmental Medicine |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue number | 12 |
| State | Published - Dec 12 2000 |
Keywords
- Anticipating
- Attention
- Aviation expertise
- Flight path
- Functional brain imaging
- Performance
- Planning
- Working memory
- fMRI