Manipulation specific effects of mental fatigue: Evidence from novelty processing and simulated driving

Abstract

Mental fatigue has a wide range of effects on cognitive, behavioral, and motivational measures. It can be expected that specific effects in which fatigue becomes manifest is dependent on the nature of fatigue-inducing activity (e.g., level of control and working memory demands). This study examined how fatigue caused by tasks that differ on the level of working memory demands (0-Back, 2-Back) affects brain function (novelty processing, P3a) and performance (driving). Results showed that fatigue did not affect driving performance. Fatigue did reduce P3a amplitude, but only after 2-Back. P3a was also reduced during driving. The effects of fatigue and driving on P3a were additive. In summary, both driving and fatigue reduced P3a amplitude. Driving effects were always present. Fatigue effects on novelty processing were dependent on the cognitive demands of the fatigue-inducing task.

The window of my eyes: Task disengagement and mental fatigue covary with pupil dynamics

“…The letters were presented randomly with a target rate of 25%. The n-back task has been used successfully in previous experiments to induce fatigue (Massar, Wester, Volkerts, & Kenemans, 2010). It is a cognitively demanding task that requires the sustained engagement of working memory and attention in order to uphold adequate levels of performance (Watter, Geffen, & Geffen, 2001).…”

Neural mechanisms of mental fatigue

“…However, declines in executive functions such as executive attention (van der Linden et al, 2003b;Holtzer et al, 2011), sustained attention (Dorrian et al, 2007;Langner et al, 2010;Lim et al, 2010), goal-directed attention , alternating attention (van der Linden et al, 2003a), divided attention (van der Linden and Eling, 2006), response inhibition (Kato et al, 2009), planning (Lorist et al, 2000;Lorist, 2008), and novelty processing (Massar et al, 2010) are a common feature of mental fatigue. Among the various components of executive function, selective attention, particularly conflict-controlling selective attention (response inhibition), is highly vulnerable to mental fatigue .…”

A multifaceted investigation of the link between mental fatigue and task disengagement

“…1. We know of two studies: Boksem et al (2006) briefly mention the P3 but mainly focus on response-locked potentials (Ne/ERN), and Massar et al (2010) measure the more frontal P3a component, which is functionally different from the parietal P3b that we measure.…”