Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Estimate the Cognitive Load Using Electrocardiographic Measure: A Human-AI Collaborative Task
Published on: December 5, 2025
Mental workload under time pressure can trigger frequent hot flashes in menopausal women
Mi Kyong Park1, Noriaki Satoh, Masaharu Kumashiro
1Department of Ergonomics, University of Occupational and Environmental Health, 1-1 Iseigaoka, Yahatanishi-ku, Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 807-8555, Japan.
Abstract:
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between mental workload and occurrence of hot flashes. Twelve women with moderate to severe menopausal hot flashes participated in the study. Subjects participated in both a mental arithmetic task (Task) and control (Non-task) experiments. We measured heart rate, heart rate variability, blood pressure, near infrared spectroscopy, skin temperature, and skin potential level. The incidence of hot flashes was greater in Task than in Non-task. No significant differences between before, during and after hot flashes emerged for the percentage of correct responses and reaction time. However, the percentage of correct responses for two subjects among the ten who experienced hot flashes in Task substantially declined during hot flashes. Chest skin temperatures increased in both Task and Non-task during hot flashes, and regional oxygen saturation was significantly higher in Non-task than in Task. The present study suggested that mental workload under time pressure might be a risk factor for menopausal hot flashes, and the performance of most people who experienced hot flashes was not affected by hot flashes, however, work-related difficulties due to cognitive disturbance during hot flashes might arise in some people.
Related Concept Videos
Menopause
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Factors Affecting Body Temperature
Factors may include:
Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature
Psychoneuroimmunology: Cardiovascular Disease
A key area of focus in PNI is the relationship between stress and coronary...
Psychological Responses to Stress
