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Research on mental fatigue during long-term motor imagery: a pilot study
Tianqing Li1, Dong Zhang1, Ying Wang1
1Key Laboratory of Measurement Technology and Instrumentation of Hebei Province, Institute of Electric Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao, Hebei, China.
Scientific Reports
|August 8, 2024
Summary
Mental fatigue impairs motor imagery (MI) recognition. Increased theta power in frontal and central brain regions, and weakened connectivity, may signal fatigue during MI tasks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Mental fatigue poses a challenge for long-term motor imagery (MI) applications.
- Current research lacks effective methods for monitoring mental fatigue during MI and identifying reliable biomarkers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of mental fatigue on motor imagery recognition.
- To identify brain region-level biomarkers for mental fatigue during MI tasks.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 10 healthy participants for a long-term motor imagery task.
- Recorded 32-channel electroencephalography (EEG) data and administered fatigue questionnaires.
- Analyzed EEG data for changes in brain activity and functional connectivity.
Main Results:
- Mental fatigue significantly reduced motor imagery recognition rates.
- Increased theta power was observed in frontal, central, parietal, and occipital clusters.
- Weakened phase synchronization between central and frontal/occipital regions was detected.
Conclusions:
- Theta band activity in frontal, central, and parieto-occipital clusters can serve as biomarkers for mental fatigue during MI.
- Altered functional connectivity between central and prefrontal/occipital lobes may also indicate mental fatigue.
