Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science, Concordia University, EV 3.301, 1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W., Montreal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada.
Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg. 2019 Aug;14(8):1431-1438. doi: 10.1007/s11548-019-01970-w. Epub 2019 Apr 17.
The combination of data visualization and auditory display (e.g., sonification) has been shown to increase accuracy, and reduce perceived difficulty, within 3D navigation tasks. While accuracy within such tasks can be measured in real time, subjective impressions about the difficulty of a task are more elusive to obtain. Prior work utilizing electrophysiology (EEG) has found robust support that cognitive load and working memory can be monitored in real time using EEG data.
In this study, we replicated a 3D navigation task (within the context of image-guided surgery) while recording data pertaining to participants' cognitive load through the use of EEG relative alpha-band weighting data. Specifically, 13 subjects navigated a tracked surgical tool to randomly placed 3D virtual locations on a CT cerebral angiography volume while being aided by visual, aural, or both visual and aural feedback. During the study EEG data were captured from the participants, and after the study a NASA TLX questionnaire was filled out by the subjects. In addition to replicating an existing experimental design on auditory display within image-guided neurosurgery, our primary aim sought to determine whether EEG-based markers of cognitive load mirrored subjective ratings of task difficulty RESULTS : Similar to existing literature, our study found evidence consistent with the hypothesis that auditory display can increase the accuracy of navigating to a specified target. We also found significant differences in cognitive working load across different feedback modalities, but none of which supported the experiments hypotheses. Finally, we found mixed results regarding the relationship between real-time measurements of cognitive workload and a posteriori subjective impressions of task difficulty.
Although we did not find a significant correlation between the subjective and physiological measurements, differences in cognitive working load were found. As well, our study further supports the use of auditory display in image-guided surgery.
数据可视化和听觉显示（例如，声化）的结合已被证明可以提高 3D 导航任务的准确性，并降低感知难度。虽然此类任务中的准确性可以实时测量，但任务难度的主观印象更难以获得。先前利用脑电图（EEG）的工作发现了强有力的支持，即可以使用 EEG 数据实时监测认知负荷和工作记忆。
在本研究中，我们复制了 3D 导航任务（在图像引导手术的背景下），同时通过使用 EEG 相对阿尔法波段加权数据记录与参与者认知负荷相关的数据。具体来说，13 名受试者在 CT 脑血管造影体积上随机放置 3D 虚拟位置，同时借助视觉、听觉或视觉和听觉反馈进行导航。在研究过程中从参与者那里捕获 EEG 数据，在研究之后，参与者填写了 NASA TLX 问卷。除了复制图像引导神经外科中听觉显示的现有实验设计外，我们的主要目的是确定基于 EEG 的认知负荷标志物是否反映了任务难度的主观评价。
与现有文献一致，我们的研究发现了听觉显示可以提高指定目标导航准确性的证据。我们还发现了不同反馈模式下认知工作负荷的显着差异，但没有一个支持实验假设。最后，我们发现实时测量认知工作负荷与事后主观任务难度印象之间的关系存在混合结果。
尽管我们没有发现主观和生理测量之间存在显著相关性，但发现了认知工作负荷的差异。此外，我们的研究进一步支持了在图像引导手术中使用听觉显示。
