Mental fatigue and motor performance: Functional and mechanistic insights

一个多世纪以来，人们一直认为认知需求会导致精神疲劳，并对运动表现产生负面影响，但令人惊讶的是，几乎没有科学数据支持这一观点。这一领域的研究主要局限于主观报告或行为结果，对精神疲劳的客观评估很少，对相关机制的了解也有限。该建议概述了一种客观、功能和机制结果的系统方法，这对于理解精神疲劳对运动表现的影响及其潜在机制至关重要。认知和运动任务的同时进行会导致其中一项或两项任务的表现下降。然而，这些研究涉及急性执行任务，特别设计以避免疲劳发展。在精神疲劳的情况下是否会发生类似的运动功能受损，仍未得到证实。提出的研究将采用客观的措施来解决三个主要问题：(1)精神疲劳如何影响神经肌肉功能？(2)精神疲劳如何影响运动控制？(3)精神疲劳如何影响大脑特定任务区域的兴奋性和抑制性神经递质？随着技术驱动的日常环境中持续的认知需求导致的事故发生率不断上升，充分揭示精神疲劳的后果至关重要。这些信息将涉及到与日常活动、技术发展和安全工作场所实践相关的机械理解。我们将采用既能引起精神疲劳又能提供持续客观评估的既定任务。我们将把这项任务与神经肌肉特性评估（问题1）、动态运动表现评估（问题2）以及基于大脑神经化学特征的磁共振评估结合起来。这些互补的贡献将大大增强我们对认知和运动功能之间相互作用的理解，精神疲劳在调节这些关系中的作用，以及减轻精神疲劳的途径。在这个提案中概述的短期目标将有助于我的研究计划的更广泛的目标，了解人类神经肌肉功能，以及环境因素对该功能的影响。与我之前的工作一致，拟议的项目将为HQP的培训提供特殊的机会，为他们在神经生理学和STEM相关领域的产业界和学术界的竞争岗位做好准备。

While it has been suggested for more than a century that cognitive demands induce mental fatigue, with negative consequences on motor performance, there is surprisingly little scientific data to support this idea. Research in this area is largely restricted to subjective reports or behavioral outcomes, with few objective assessments of mental fatigue and limited insight into associated mechanisms. This proposal outlines a systematic approach with objective, functional and mechanistic outcomes, crucial to understanding the influence and underlying mechanisms of mental fatigue on motor performance. It is well-established that concurrent performance of a cognitive and motor task results in a decrement in performance on one or both tasks. However, these studies involve acutely performed tasks, specifically designed to avoid fatigue development. Whether similar impaired motor function occurs under conditions of mental fatigue, remains unexplored. The proposed research will employ objective measures to address three primary questions: (1) how does mental fatigue impact neuromuscular function? (2) How does mental fatigue impact motor control? (3) How does mental fatigue impact excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in task-specific brain regions? Fully uncovering the consequences of mental fatigue is of paramount importance with the rising incidence of accidents related to the sustained cognitive demands of our technology-driven daily environments. Such information will address a mechanistic understanding, relevant to everyday activities, technology development, and safe workplace practices. We will employ an established task that both induces mental fatigue and provides a continuous objective assessment of it. We will pair this task with assessments of neuromuscular properties (question 1), dynamic motor performance (question 2) and magnetic resonance based assessments of the neurochemical profile of the brain. These complementary contributions will substantially enhance our understanding of the interplay between cognition and motor function, the role of mental fatigue in modulating these relationships, and avenues for mitigating mental fatigue. The short-term goals outlined in this proposal will contribute to the broader aim of my research program, understanding human neuromuscular function, and the influence of environmental factors on that function. Consistent with my previous work, the proposed program will offer exceptional opportunities for training HQP, preparing them for competitive positions in industry and academia in neurophysiology and related fields in STEM.