Pictorial Cognitive Task Resolution and Expired Minute Ventilation, Oxygen Consumption, Carbon Dioxide Production and Heart Rate

Abstract

Aims:To assess the impact of cognitive task solving on respiratory and cardiovascular parameters. Methods: The ML870B80 Exercise Physiology System was used to record concurrently with EEG, the cardiorespiratory and metabolic functions of subjects during cognitive activity. The Expired Minute Ventilation (V E ), Oxygen Consumption (V O2 ), Carbon Dioxide Production (V CO2 ) and Average Heart Rate (BPM) were ascertained for four periods: (1) rest or starting period, (2) reference period, (3) cognitive task solving period and (4) recovery period. Each period was defined by the type of presented visual stimuli and by the prearranged cognitive activity related to visual stimuli. The personality traits of participants were also determined.Results: The momentary functional state of subject's brain (i.e. the period of the experiment) determined the average values of all measured parameters. During the cognitive task solving period the average V E , V O2 and V CO2 reached the lowest values while the HR behaved reversely -it was the highest in the cognitive task solving period. Further, the average V E , V CO2 and HR values but not V O2 value differed significantly from average values for the same variable measured in the rest period.Conclusion: The changes in respiratory variables during the cognitive task solving period predicate the whole-body metabolic rate rather than the energy metabolism of the brain alone. However, the heart rate related to some personality traits of the subject has a tighter relation to brain's energy metabolic rate during the cognitive task solving -it affects the oxygen supply of the brain.

Effect of iron deficiency on simultaneous measures of behavior, brain activity, and energy expenditure in the performance of a cognitive task

“…Much of the literature on the relationships between cognitive demands and metabolic measures of work have been hampered by manipulations that produce rather small changes in performance. [47][48][49] In closing, we have shown that it is possible to characterize the relationships among cognitive demands, neural activity, and energy expended in the context of variations in iron status. Critically, we have shown that two distinct aspects of iron status-as indexed by sFt and Hb-play two distinct roles in these relationships.…”

The Neural efficiency score: Validation and application

“…The first and most obvious is that the finding of a positive relationship between metabolic energy expended and GFP needs to be replicated. Of concern here is the fact that we used large variations in workload-much larger than those used in earlier studies of the effect of cognitive workload on metabolic measures (Garde, Laursen, Jørgensen, & Jensen, 2002;Petrek, 2008Petrek, , 2009. It may be that the positive relationship that we obtained is only observable at high levels of demand.…”