Mental fatigue was linked to uneven changes in brain activation
A review of brain-imaging studies found recurring increases in some regions and decreases in others during prolonged tasks. The pattern does not yet explain what causes mental fatigue.
Based on the published abstract. The full paper may contain additional methods, results and limitations.
The 30-second takeaway
Mental fatigue was repeatedly associated with higher activation in several frontal and other brain regions, while some posterior regions tended to show lower activation. The review brings together recurring patterns across different task designs. It does not establish a single neural cause, a diagnostic brain signature, or an intervention for preventing fatigue.
The evidence came from healthy participants, and the abstract does not report pooled effect sizes. The authors describe unresolved mechanisms and methodological gaps, limiting conclusions about diagnosis or people with clinical conditions.
What researchers measured
The included studies used functional MRI during mentally tiring tasks or compared scans taken before and after them. The question was which activation patterns recurred as fatigue increased, rather than whether a fatigue treatment worked.
A pattern with several parts
Higher activation recurred in prefrontal regions and the thalamus, with additional areas also involved. Lower activation tended to appear farther back in the brain. Some studies also reported cerebellar changes, adding to the picture's complexity.
The original publication
Mental fatigue and brain activation using prolonged task-based fMRI: a systematic review on time-on-task and sequential task paradigms.
Roose MM, Schampheleer E, Habay J et al.
Exp Brain Res · 2026
- PubMed ID
- 41521336
- Record checked
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