A metabolic measure of mental effort
Abstract
Previous studies have operationalised mental effort via various indices of psychophysiology, particularly cardiovascular measures. Metabolic measures represent a complementary approach wherein mental effort investment is explicitly linked to the process of energy mobilisation. The purpose of this study was to contrast cardiovascular variables (heart rate, 0.1 Hz component of heart rate variability) with a metabolic measure (blood glucose) of mental effort. Twenty-nine participants were exposed to Stroop stimuli over a 45 min period under two conditions: (a) congruent (i.e. 100% congruent Stroop stimuli); and (b) incongruent (i.e. 100% incongruent Stroop stimuli). Performance, blood glucose, cardiovascular activity and subjective mood were measured. The results indicated that blood glucose levels were sensitive to both Stroop and time-on-task variables, whilst cardiovascular measures were only sensitive to the latter. There was also evidence of an association between blood glucose levels and response accuracy. The implications of these findings for the operationalisation of mental effort are discussed.
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Sustained, intense mental processing results in a measurable decrease in circulating levels of glucose and oxygen.
“It is notable that sustained, intense mental processing results in a measurable decrease in circulating levels of glucose [38,39,40] and oxygen [41].”
From Vitamins and Minerals for Energy, Fatigue and Cognition: A Narrative Review of the Biochemical and Clinical Evidence (2020) · cites this paper as [40]
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- Authors
- Fairclough, S. H., & Houston, K.
- Affiliations
- Liverpool John Moores University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Fairclough, Stephen H
- Venue
- Biological Psychology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2004-04
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 177-190
- ISSN
- 0301-0511 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2093842456
- Cited by
- 333
- References
- 75
- Citations by year
- 2026: 9 · 2025: 71 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 17 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 24 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 16
- FWCI
- 1.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Liverpool John Moores University
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Human-Automation Interaction and Safety
- Keywords
- cognitive effort, blood glucose, heart rate, heart rate variability, Stroop task, cognitive load, time on task, response accuracy, subjective mood, psychophysiology
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Blood Glucose, Brain, Cognition, Electrocardiography, Heart Rate, Humans, Male, Middle Aged
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