The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study
Increasing time spent on the task (i.e., the time-on-task (ToT) effect) often results in mental fatigue. Typical effects of ToT are decreasing levels of task-related motivation and the deterioration of cognitive performance. However, a massive body of research indicates that the detrimental effects...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-01-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811922009338 |
| _version_ | 1797961093183700992 |
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| author | Gergely Darnai András Matuz Husamalddin Ali Alhour Gábor Perlaki Gergely Orsi Ákos Arató Anna Szente Eszter Áfra Szilvia Anett Nagy József Janszky Árpád Csathó |
| author_facet | Gergely Darnai András Matuz Husamalddin Ali Alhour Gábor Perlaki Gergely Orsi Ákos Arató Anna Szente Eszter Áfra Szilvia Anett Nagy József Janszky Árpád Csathó |
| author_sort | Gergely Darnai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Increasing time spent on the task (i.e., the time-on-task (ToT) effect) often results in mental fatigue. Typical effects of ToT are decreasing levels of task-related motivation and the deterioration of cognitive performance. However, a massive body of research indicates that the detrimental effects can be reversed by extrinsic motivators, for example, providing rewards to fatigued participants. Although several attempts have been made to identify brain areas involved in mental fatigue and related reward processing, the neural correlates are still less understood. In this study, we used the psychomotor vigilance task to induce mental fatigue and blood oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural correlates of the ToT effect and the reward effect (i.e., providing extra monetary reward after fatigue induction) in a healthy young sample. Our results were interpreted in a recently proposed neurocognitive framework. The activation of the right middle frontal gyrus, right insula and right anterior cingulate gyrus decreased as fatigue emerged and the cognitive performance dropped. However, after providing an extra reward, the cognitive performance, as well as activation of these areas, increased. Moreover, the activation levels of all of the mentioned areas were negatively associated with reaction times. Our results confirm that the middle frontal gyrus, insula and anterior cingulate cortex play crucial roles in cost-benefit evaluations, a potential background mechanism underlying fatigue, as suggested by the neurocognitive framework. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:55:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0f495e6b425c40338c5bdeb5b2c5bd8d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:55:05Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj.art-0f495e6b425c40338c5bdeb5b2c5bd8d2023-01-05T06:23:29ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722023-01-01265119812The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI studyGergely Darnai0András Matuz1Husamalddin Ali Alhour2Gábor Perlaki3Gergely Orsi4Ákos Arató5Anna Szente6Eszter Áfra7Szilvia Anett Nagy8József Janszky9Árpád Csathó10Department of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; ELKH-PTE Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; ELKH-PTE Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary; Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, HungaryELKH-PTE Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary; Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary; Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; ELKH-PTE Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary; Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary; Structural Neurobiology Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryDepartment of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary; ELKH-PTE Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary; Corresponding author at: Department of Neurology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.Department of Behavioural Sciences, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, HungaryIncreasing time spent on the task (i.e., the time-on-task (ToT) effect) often results in mental fatigue. Typical effects of ToT are decreasing levels of task-related motivation and the deterioration of cognitive performance. However, a massive body of research indicates that the detrimental effects can be reversed by extrinsic motivators, for example, providing rewards to fatigued participants. Although several attempts have been made to identify brain areas involved in mental fatigue and related reward processing, the neural correlates are still less understood. In this study, we used the psychomotor vigilance task to induce mental fatigue and blood oxygen-level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural correlates of the ToT effect and the reward effect (i.e., providing extra monetary reward after fatigue induction) in a healthy young sample. Our results were interpreted in a recently proposed neurocognitive framework. The activation of the right middle frontal gyrus, right insula and right anterior cingulate gyrus decreased as fatigue emerged and the cognitive performance dropped. However, after providing an extra reward, the cognitive performance, as well as activation of these areas, increased. Moreover, the activation levels of all of the mentioned areas were negatively associated with reaction times. Our results confirm that the middle frontal gyrus, insula and anterior cingulate cortex play crucial roles in cost-benefit evaluations, a potential background mechanism underlying fatigue, as suggested by the neurocognitive framework.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811922009338Psychomotor vigilance taskfMRIMental fatigueMotivationNeurocognitive frameworkInsula |
| spellingShingle | Gergely Darnai András Matuz Husamalddin Ali Alhour Gábor Perlaki Gergely Orsi Ákos Arató Anna Szente Eszter Áfra Szilvia Anett Nagy József Janszky Árpád Csathó The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study NeuroImage Psychomotor vigilance task fMRI Mental fatigue Motivation Neurocognitive framework Insula |
| title | The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study |
| title_full | The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study |
| title_fullStr | The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study |
| title_short | The neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing: A task-based fMRI study |
| title_sort | neural correlates of mental fatigue and reward processing a task based fmri study |
| topic | Psychomotor vigilance task fMRI Mental fatigue Motivation Neurocognitive framework Insula |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811922009338 |
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