The Effect of Mental Loads on Muscle Tension, Blood Pressure and Blink Rate.

Abstract

Surface electromyogram (EMG), blood pressure (BP), blink rate (BR) and heart rate (HR) were recorded before and during 4 types of mental task. The mental task involved 3 tasks that encompassed the memory (M), visual search (VS) and color-word (CW) tasks besides the control task (CT) of maintaining a similar posture while focusing on a single spot on the computer screen. Except for CW, any voluntary movement for response to visual stimuli given were not demanded. Slightly but significant increases in integrated EMG (iEMG) were shown in terapezius, biceps and gastrocnemius muscles during tasks except for CT. Especially in the trapezius muscle during M, the most remarkable enhancements of iEMG and BP were shown. In VS and CW tasks, significant decreases in BR were observed, although in M and CT tasks there were no significant changes in it. There were no significant changes in HR in any type of tasks. The present study demonstrated the increase in muscle tension due to mental needs of cognitive tasks per se accompanying changes in BP and BR. And, enhancement of these physiological responses by memory loads and eyeball movement was discussed as a possible mechanism.

Modulation of human motoneuron activity by a mental arithmetic task

“…The increased surface EMG of the distal wrist extensor muscles observed in the present study is in line with data reported for a shoulder muscle, the trapezius muscle, under mental loads (Iwanaga et al, 2000;Laursen et al, 2002;Lorist et al, 2002;Lundberg et al, 1994;Nilsen et al, 2007;Schleifer et al, 2008;Visser et al, 2004). Specially, increased surface EMG activity was also reported in trapezius muscle when performing MA task (Lundberg et al, 1994).…”

“…In the upper limb, studies have used surface EMG to evaluate the cognitive influences on motor system and reported global increases in surface EMG activity (Iwanaga, Saito, Shimomura, Harada, & Katsuura, 2000;Laursen, Jensen, Garde, & Jorgensen, 2002;Lorist, Kernell, Meijman, & Zijdewind, 2002;Lundberg et al, 1994;Nilsen, Sand, Stovner, Leistad, & Westgaard, 2007;Schleifer et al, 2008;Visser, de Looze, de Graaff, & van Dieën, 2004). Little is known about the behavior of single motor units (SMUs) when a cognitive task is performed.…”

Interfering effects of multitasking on muscle activity in the upper extremity

“…By adding a decision making process to a simple lifting task, Davis et al (2002) found an increase in lumbar spine forces when the task was more complex. To increase mental or cognitive load, the Stroop test has often been used (Iwanaga et al, 2000;Lundberg et al, 2002;Fairclough and Houston, 2004) and it has been shown to cause activation in the anterior cingulated cortex (Gruber et al, 2002;Peterson et al, 1999). The Stroop test presents colour words appearing in an incongruent colour and requires the participant to verbally state the colour of the word rather than the word itself (Stroop, 1935).…”

The Effect of Personality on Online Game Flow Experience and the Eye Blink Rate as an Objective Indicator

“…Wu, Begley, Zhang, Adebisi, and Simpson (2011) [26] confirmed these findings and reported that eye blink rates decreased with greater concentration. When investigating changes in the eye blink rates of children engaged in video games, researchers have demonstrated a decrease in blinking when the game was in progress [27]. Kim, Min, and Park (2013) also confirmed these findings.…”