Decoding visual fatigue in a visual search task selectively manipulated via myopia-correcting lenses.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Sustained visual tasks cause fatigue, impacting performance and well-being.
• Brain networks underlying visual fatigue are not well understood.
• Myopia-correcting lenses can modulate subjective fatigue levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify brain networks associated with visual fatigue.
• Investigate the role of myopia-correcting lenses in visual fatigue.
• Decode visual fatigue from fMRI data during a demanding task.

Main Methods:

• fMRI scanning of 31 myopia participants performing a visual search task.
• Used myopia-correcting lenses to modulate fatigue.
• Applied representational similarity analysis to decode brain activity related to fatigue and difficulty.

Main Results:

• Myopia-correcting lenses significantly reduced subjective visual fatigue.
• The cuneus, lingual gyrus, middle occipital gyrus (MOG), and declive decoded joint fatigue and difficulty.
• Specific regions (culmen, MTG, parahippocampal gyrus, precentral gyrus, precuneus) exclusively decoded fatigue.

Conclusions:

• Visual fatigue during demanding tasks can be decoded from brain imaging data.
• Specific brain networks are involved in processing visual fatigue and task difficulty.
• Myopia-correcting lenses show potential for investigating and managing visual fatigue.