Proof-of-Concept and Test-Retest Reliability Study of Psychological and Physiological Variables of the Mental Fatigue Paradigm

Author(s)

Brietzke, Cayque ^{[1, 2]} ; Vinicius, Italo ^[1] ; Franco-Alvarenga, Paulo Estevao ^{[1, 2, 3]} ; Canestri, Raul ^[1] ; Goethel, Marcio Fagundes ^{[1, 4, 5]} ; Rodrigues Santos, Lucas Eduardo ^[6] ; Viana, Bruno ^[1] ; Santos, Tony Meireles ^{[1, 6]} ; Pires, Flavio Oliveira ^{[1, 2]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Arts Sci & Humanities, Exercise Psychophysiol Res Grp, BR-03828000 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Human Movement Sci & Rehabil Program, BR-11015020 Santos, SP - Brazil

^[3] Estacio Sa Univ UNESA, Phys Educ, BR-27515010 Resende - Brazil

^[4] Univ Porto, Fac Sport, Ctr Res Educ Innovat & Intervent Sport, P-4200450 Porto - Portugal

^[5] Univ Porto, Porto Biomech Lab LABIOMEP, P-4200450 Porto - Portugal

^[6] Univ Fed Pernambuco, Grad Program Neuropsychiat & Behav Sci, BR-50740600 Recife, PE - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH; v. 18, n. 18 SEP 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

This study provided a proof-of-concept and test-retest reliability of measures frequently used to assess a mental fatigue paradigm. After familiarization, 28 healthy men performed (40-min) the Rapid Visual Information Processing (RVP) test in a test-retest design, having mental fatigue sensation, motivation, emotional arousal, total mood disturbance, and electroencephalography (EEG) in the prefrontal cortex measured before and after the test. EEG was recorded during a 3-min rest so that the power spectral density of theta (3-7 Hz) and alpha (8-13 Hz) bands was calculated. Pre-to-post RVP test changes in psychological and physiological domains were compared (paired-T tests), and absolute (standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal difference (MD)) and relative reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)) were calculated. The RVP test induced an increase (p < 0.05) in mental fatigue sensation (120.9% (109.4; 132.4)) and total mood disturbance (3.5% (-6.3; 13.3)), and a decrease in motivation (-7.1% (-9.2; -5.1)) and emotional arousal (-16.2% (-19.1; -13.2)). Likewise, EEG theta (59.1% (33.2; 85.0); p < 0.05), but not alpha band, increased due to RVP test. All psychophysiological responses showed poor-to-moderate relative reliability. Changes in mental fatigue sensation and motivation were higher than SEM and MD, but changes in EEG theta band were higher only than SEM. Mental fatigue sensation, motivation, and EEG theta band were sensitive to distinguish a mental fatigue paradigm despite true mental fatigue effects on theta activity may be trivial. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 16/16496-3 - Effects of carbohydrate mouth rinse on physical performance and psychophysiological responses in individuals mentally fatigued during VO2MAX test
• Grantee: Flávio de Oliveira Pires
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants