关键词: 执行功能, 即兴创作, 对歌经验, 近红外光谱脑功能成像技术

Abstract: Executive function is a set of higher-order cognitive abilities that support goal-directed behavior, typically comprising three core components: inhibitory control, working memory updating, and cognitive flexibility. Previous research has shown that executive function tends to decline with age in middle and older adulthood, while improvisational activities may help slow this deterioration. Antiphonal singing, a traditional form of spontaneous lyric creation widely practiced in ethnic minority regions of China, emphasizes real-time generation and flexible response, potentially engaging multiple components of executive function. This study aimed to investigate whether experience in antiphonal singing enhances executive function in middle-aged and older adults. We hypothesized that individuals with such experience would perform better in inhibitory control, working memory updating, and cognitive flexibility, and further explored the neural basis underlying these potential advantages. Two groups of middle-aged and older adults were recruited: those with experience in antiphonal singing and those without. In Study 1, 34 singers and 31 non-singers were included in the analysis; in Studies 2 and 3, both groups consisted of 32 participants. The average age across participants was approximately 58 years. Three experiments were conducted: a Simon arrow task assessed inhibitory control, an n-back task assessed working memory updating, and a more-odd shifting task assessed cognitive flexibility. During task performance, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure oxygenated hemoglobin concentration changes in key frontal, parietal, and temporal brain regions, in order to examine both behavioral performance and neural activation patterns. Behavioral results across all three experiments showed that participants with antiphonal singing experience demonstrated superior executive function. In Study 1, fNIRS data revealed significantly lower activation in the singer group under conflict conditions in regions such as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, primary motor cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, posterior parietal cortex, middle and superior temporal gyri, and somatosensory association cortex. In Study 2, higher activation during the 2-back task (but not the 1-back task) was observed in the singer group in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, primary motor cortex, somatosensory association cortex, and posterior parietal cortex. In Study 3, during task-switching conditions, the singer group exhibited significantly higher activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, frontopolar area, premotor and primary motor cortices, posterior parietal cortex, and somatosensory association cortex. This study is the first to systematically examine the influence of antiphonal singing experience on different components of executive function and their neural underpinnings. Results indicate that such experience significantly enhances executive function in middle-aged and older adults. These findings support the potential of improvisational language training as an intervention for cognitive aging and offer empirical evidence for culturally grounded cognitive enhancement programs. Moreover, the fNIRS data suggest that the observed cognitive improvements may reflect enhanced neural processing efficiency. These findings provide valuable insights for advancing research on cognitive training and broaden the potential applications of improvisational practices in cognitive intervention contexts, particularly within culturally embedded forms of improvisation such as antiphonal singing.

Key words: Executive function, Antiphony experience, Improvisation, Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)