Evaluation of mental fatigue induced by mental arithmetic tasks
The present study aimed to elucidate the psychophysiological changes induced by a long-term mental task. Physiological parameters, subjective indices, and task performances were measured among 16 healthy male university students. After an initial 5-minute resting period (REST1), participants completed five 20-minute task blocks (a total of one hundred minutes of a mental arithmetic task) and a 5-minute resting period (REST2). An increase in negative subjective complaint (Visual analog scale score by fatigue, Profiles of Mood State scores by Tension-Anxiety, Anger -Hostility, Vigor, Fatigue, Confusion) and a decrease in test performance were observed following the completion of the mental arithmetic task compared with the pre-task resting period. These results indicate that fatigue occurred by the load of the mental arithmetic task. The physiological parameters of nose tissue blood flow (TBF) and HR were significantly decreased compared with the rest period before the mental arithmetic task (REST1), and heart rate variability indices (ln(LF): Low Frequency component, ln(Total Power), CVR-R: Coefficient of Variation of R-R intervals) were significantly increased. Since the changes in TBF indicate increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity, SNS activity was suggested to have increased due to fatigue. Meanwhile, from the decrease in HR and increase in CVR-R, parasympathetic nervous system activity was also suggested to have increased. These results suggest that fatigue induced by a long-term mental arithmetic task increases negative subjective complaints and decreases task performance, while also stimulating both SNS and PNS.
S. Yamada S. Miyake M. Ohsuga
Department of Environmental Management, School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and En Department of Environmental Management, School of Health Sciences, University of Occupational and En Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Osaka Institute of Technology
国际会议
17th World Congress on Ergonomics(第十七届国际人类工效学大会)
北京
英文
1-6
2009-08-09（万方平台首次上网日期，不代表论文的发表时间）