TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Effects of mental fatigue on the development of physical fatigue: a neuroergonomic approach
JO  - Human factors
A1  - Mehta, Ranjana K.
A1  - Parasuraman, Raja
SP  - 645
EP  - 656
VL  - 56
IS  - 4
N2  - OBJECTIVE: The present study used a neuroergonomic approach to examine the interaction of mental and physical fatigue by assessing prefrontal cortex activation during submaximal fatiguing handgrip exercises. <br><br>BACKGROUND: Mental fatigue is known to influence muscle function and motor performance, but its contribution to the development of voluntary physical fatigue is not well understood. <br><br>METHOD: A total of 12 participants performed separate physical (control) and physical and mental fatigue (concurrent) conditions at 30% of their maximal handgrip strength until exhaustion. Functional near infrared spectroscopy was employed to measure prefrontal cortex activation, whereas electromyography and joint steadiness were used simultaneously to quantify muscular effort. <br><br>RESULTS: Compared to the control condition, blood oxygenation in the bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly lower during submaximal fatiguing contractions associated with mental fatigue at exhaustion, despite comparable muscular responses. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that interference in the prefrontal cortex may influence motor output during tasks that require both physical and cognitive processing. APPLICATION: A neuroergonomic approach involving simultaneous monitoring of brain and body functions can provide critical information on fatigue development that may be overlooked during traditional fatigue assessments.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0018-7208
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -