Cognitive Workload During a Sustained Visual Attention Task in Middle-Aged and Older Adults With Persistent Symptoms...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Prolonged symptoms after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) impact daily activities.
• The link between cognitive workload and mTBI symptoms remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• Compare cognitive workload in adults with persistent mTBI symptoms versus controls during a sustained visual attention task.
• Examine the relationship between cognitive workload and patient-reported symptoms post-mTBI.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 48 adults (24 mTBI, 24 controls) aged ~55 years.
• Participants completed the Dot Cancellation (DC) test, assessing performance, objective (ICA), and subjective (NASA-TLX) workload.
• Symptom severity (PCSS) and mental fatigue (MFS) were measured.

Main Results:

• mTBI group showed longer DC test completion times (P=.002) and higher subjective workload (NASA-TLX, P<.001).
• No significant differences in objective workload (ICA) were found after controlling for task duration.
• Moderate correlations observed between subjective workload and symptom severity (ρ=.58) and mental fatigue (ρ=.58).

Conclusions:

• Adults with persistent mTBI symptoms report greater subjective cognitive workload and task completion times.
• Objective cognitive workload did not differ significantly when task duration was accounted for.
• Subjective cognitive workload in mTBI is influenced by symptom severity and mental fatigue.