Gender Differences in Prefrontal Cortex Response to Negative Emotional Stimuli in Drivers

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 t-test = 2.19; p t-test = −3.06; p p-values ≤ 0.013). Greater prefrontal oxygenation occurred with neutral images compared to traffic accidents. Left hemisphere differences (t-test = 3.23; p t-test = 2.46; p t-test = 2.72, p 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.

Keywords

• fNIRs
• driving adaptive style
• prefrontal cortex
• emotions