Skau Simon, Bunketorp-Käll Lina, Johansson Birgitta, Kuhn Hans-Georg
Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Neuroimage Rep. 2021 Jul 26;1(3):100038. doi: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2021.100038. eCollection 2021 Sep.
The Dual Mechanism of Control theory proposes that we use our cognitive control in a proactive and reactive mode. The proactive mode is used to optimize performance in more challenging tasks and is thought to be a more demanding activity. Trait mental fatigue is the overall disposition of mental fatigability and sensation of mental weariness and exhaustion. In the present study, we investigated the association between trait mental fatigue, proactive control, and different properties of the hemodynamic response in the frontal and parietal cortex of healthy adults.
30 healthy adults answered the Mental Fatigue Scale (MFS), performed the (AX-CPT), a test of proactive cognitive control which generates the proactive behavioral index (PBI), and underwent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure functional activity in the frontal and parietal cortex while being tested on the AX-CPT.
There was a Spearman's correlation ρ = -0.462 between MFS and the PBI, indicating an association between trait mental fatigue and a tendency to rely on reactive cognitive control. The exploratory analysis indicated that higher trait mental fatigue was associated with higher oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations (oxy-Hb) and total hemoglobin (tot-Hb) from the initial dip to up to the peak during reactive situations. This was observed bilaterally in the medial posterior partial (MPPC) cortex and the right lateral palatal cortex (LPC) for oxy-Hb. In contrast, for tot-Hb, this pattern was also observed in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and right anterior DLPFC, bilateral MPPC, right lateral PPC, and right parietal cortex. Individuals with a more reactive response type showed during proactive situations a higher concentration of oxy-Hb and tot-Hb in the right MPPC and the right LPPC for oxy-Hb for the latter part of the hemodynamic response.
DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Higher trait mental fatigue is associated with a tendency to favor reactive over proactive cognitive control in healthy adults. fNIRS imaging detected the involvement of several brain regions in trait mental fatigue. However, further research is needed to determine whether the hemodynamic response function could be linked to suboptimal neurovascular coupling.
双重控制机制理论提出，我们以主动和反应两种模式运用认知控制。主动模式用于在更具挑战性的任务中优化表现，被认为是一项要求更高的活动。特质性精神疲劳是精神易疲劳性以及精神疲倦和疲惫感的总体倾向。在本研究中，我们调查了特质性精神疲劳、主动控制与健康成年人额叶和顶叶皮质血流动力学反应不同特性之间的关联。
30名健康成年人回答了精神疲劳量表（MFS），进行了（AX-CPT），这是一项主动认知控制测试，可生成主动行为指数（PBI），并在接受AX-CPT测试时接受功能近红外光谱（fNIRS）以测量额叶和顶叶皮质的功能活动。
MFS与PBI之间存在斯皮尔曼相关性ρ = -0.462，表明特质性精神疲劳与依赖反应性认知控制的倾向之间存在关联。探索性分析表明，较高的特质性精神疲劳与反应性情境中从初始下降到峰值期间较高的氧合血红蛋白浓度（oxy-Hb）和总血红蛋白（tot-Hb）相关。在双侧内侧后顶叶皮质（MPPC）和右侧外侧腭皮质（LPC）观察到oxy-Hb的这种情况。相比之下，对于tot-Hb，在左侧背外侧前额叶皮质（DLPFC）和右侧前DLPFC、双侧MPPC、右侧外侧PPC和右侧顶叶皮质也观察到这种模式。在主动情境中，反应类型更强的个体在血流动力学反应后期，右侧MPPC和右侧LPPC中oxy-Hb和tot-Hb的浓度更高。
讨论/结论：在健康成年人中，较高的特质性精神疲劳与倾向于选择反应性而非主动性认知控制相关。fNIRS成像检测到多个脑区参与特质性精神疲劳。然而，需要进一步研究以确定血流动力学反应功能是否可能与次优神经血管耦合有关。
