Gender Differences in Prefrontal Cortex Response to Negative Emotional Stimuli in Drivers
Balada, Ferran (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)
Aluja, Anton (Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida)
Garcia, Oscar (Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida)
Aymamí, Neus (Institut de Recerca Biomèdica de Lleida)
García, Luis F. (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut)

Date:	2024
Abstract:	Background: Road safety improvement is a governmental priority due to driver-caused accidents. Driving style variation affects safety, with emotional regulation being pivotal. However, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies show inconsistent prefrontal cortex activity during emotion processing. This study examines prefrontal cortex response to negative emotional stimuli, particularly traffic accident images, across drivers diverse in age and gender. Method: The study involved 118 healthy males (44. 38 ± 12. 98 years) and 84 females (38. 89 ± 10. 60 years). The Multidimensional Driving Style Inventory (MDSI) was used to assess driving behavior alongside fNIRS recordings. Participants viewed traffic accident and neutral images while prefrontal oxygenation was monitored. Results: Women rated traffic accidents (t-test = 2. 43; p < 0. 016) and neutral images (t-test = 2. 19; p < 0. 030) lower in valence than men. Arousal differences were significant for traffic accident images (t-test = -3. 06; p < 0. 002). correlational analysis found an inverse relationship between Dissociative scale scores and oxygenation (all p-values ≤ 0. 013). Greater prefrontal oxygenation occurred with neutral images compared to traffic accidents. Left hemisphere differences (t-test = 3. 23; p < 0. 001) exceeded right hemisphere differences (t-test = 2. 46; p < 0. 015). Subgroup analysis showed male participants to be driving these disparities. Among adaptive drivers, significant oxygenation differences between neutral and accident images were evident in both hemispheres (left: t-test = 2. 72, p < 0. 009; right: t-test = 2. 22, p < 0. 030). Conclusions: Male drivers with maladaptive driving styles, particularly dissociative ones, exhibit reduced prefrontal oxygenation when exposed to neutral and traffic accident images. This response was absent in female drivers, with no notable age-related differences.
Grants:	Agencia Estatal de Investigación PID2019-103981RB-I00
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, fins i tot amb finalitats comercials, sempre i quan es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Driving adaptive style ; Emotions ; Fnirs ; Prefrontal cortex
Published in:	Brain sciences, Vol. 14 Núm. 9 (2024) , art. 884, ISSN 2076-3425

DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14090884
PMID: 39335380

13 p, 2.5 MB

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