Research
Effect of mental fatigue on the central nervous system: an electroencephalography study
1 Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan
2 Degital & Network Technology Development Center, Panasonic Corporation, 1006 Kadoma, Osaka 571-8501, Japan
3 RIKEN, Center for Molecular Imaging Science, 6-7-3 Minatojima-minamimachi, Chuo-ku, Hyogo 650-0047, Japan
Behavioral and Brain Functions 2012, 8:48 doi:10.1186/1744-9081-8-48
Published: 6 September 2012Abstract
Background
Fatigue can be classified as mental and physical depending on its cause, and each type of fatigue has a multi-factorial nature. We examined the effect of mental fatigue on the central nervous system using electroencephalography (EEG) in eighteen healthy male volunteers.
Methods
After enrollment, subjects were randomly assigned to two groups in a single-blinded, crossover fashion to perform two types of mental fatigue-inducing experiments. Each experiment consisted of four 30-min fatigue-inducing 0- or 2-back test sessions and two evaluation sessions performed just before and after the fatigue-inducing sessions. During the evaluation session, the participants were assessed using EEG. Eleven electrodes were attached to the head skin, from positions F3, Fz, F4, C3, Cz, C4, P3, Pz, P4, O1, and O2.
Results
In the 2-back test, the beta power density on the Pz electrode and the alpha power densities on the P3 and O2 electrodes were decreased, and the theta power density on the Cz electrode was increased after the fatigue-inducing mental task sessions. In the 0-back test, no electrodes were altered after the fatigue-inducing sessions.
Conclusions
Different types of mental fatigue produced different kinds of alterations of the spontaneous EEG variables. Our findings provide new perspectives on the neural mechanisms underlying mental fatigue.
