Use of Visual Working Memory in a Manipulative Task

We investigated the relationship between skill development and the use of prefrontal lobe using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), a non-invasive method to measure brain activation. Activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of the frontal lobe was observed especially in the right hemisphere when a human controlled a joystick and conducted a computerized mirror drawing task. This activation was more evident when the task involved the use of spatial working memory. The concentration of oxy- and total- hemoglobin generally decreased when a participant repeated and acquired the manipulative skill. It can be said that skill acquisition that involves spatial working memory can be certainly measured by activation of the prefrontal lobe using NIRS. These findings suggested that activation of the PFC could be used to assess the skill levels of visuo-memory tasks and provide information about assistance of working memory.