Multimodal neurophysiological responses during a counteractive motion task in preschool children

BACKGROUND: Cognitive control develops rapidly during the preschool years, but its multimodal neurophysiological correlates remain incompletely understood. The present study examined age-related differences in neural, facial-expression, and physiological responses during a counteractive motion task in preschool children. METHODS: Forty-five healthy preschool children were stratified into two age groups (<5 years vs. ≥5 years). During task performance, cerebral hemodynamic responses were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), while facial expressions and vital signs were simultaneously collected. Group differences were evaluated for behavioral performance, oxygenated haemoglobin (HbO), functional connectivity (FC), facial expressions, and physiological indicators. RESULTS: No significant between-group differences were observed in behavioral performance. However, the younger group showed higher task-related HbO responses in the middle temporal gyrus (MTG), pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex (PM and SMC), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DPC), as well as stronger FC in selected fronto-motor and fronto-somatosensory connections. Significant between-group differences were also observed in specific facial expressions and cardiovascular indicators. CONCLUSION: Within this narrow age window, similar behavioral performance may be supported by different neural and physiological response patterns. These findings provide preliminary evidence for age-related variation in multimodal neurophysiological processes during a task involving inhibitory demands and broader task-control components in preschool children.