Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40011311›Full record

SynthesisBehavior research methods2025

Approaches to inducing mental fatigue: A systematic review and meta-analysis of (neuro)physiologic indices.

Stephen P J Goodman, Blake Collins, Kathleen Shorter, Ashleigh T Moreland, Christopher Papic, Adam S Hamlin, Brendon Kassman, Frank E Marino

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Behavior research methods, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

15 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Assessing mental fatigue in football: a systematic review.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2026
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Stephen P J GoodmanSchool of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. stephen.goodman@une.edu.au.
Blake CollinsHolsworth Research Initiative, La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Bendigo, Australia.
Kathleen ShorterSchool of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Ashleigh T MorelandRe-MIND Institute, Sunbury, Victoria, Australia.
Christopher PapicRECOVER Injury Research Centre, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Adam S HamlinSchool of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Brendon KassmanSchool of Science and Technology, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Frank E MarinoSchool of Rural Medicine, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Mental fatigue is a transient psychophysiological state characterized by impaired cognition and behavior across a range of dynamic contexts. Despite increasing interest in this phenomenon, its (neuro)physiologic representations remain unclear. This systematic review aimed to quantify the range of (neuro)physiologic outcomes and methodologies used to investigate mental fatigue in laboratory-based settings. Across the 72 studies meeting our inclusion criteria, we identified 30 unique physiologic, four visual outcomes, and the application of several neuroimaging techniques investigating neuronal function. Mental fatigue increased heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial pressure, low frequency, and root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and reduced standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN) (all P ≤ 0.04) when compared with controls. Applying electroencephalography to investigate delta, theta, and alpha bandwidths may provide useful insights into this phenomenon, and functional near-infra-red spectroscopy to right-lateralized frontoparietal regions would be helpful to investigate cortical activity change in response to mental fatigue. More data are needed across a range of methodological contexts in order to further determine the (neuro)physiological manifestations of mental fatigue. However, this review provides direction to researchers and will assist them in navigating and considering the range of options available.

Indexed as

Mental FatigueBlood PressureBrainElectroencephalographyHeart RateHumansNeuroimagingMental fatigueMethodologyNeurophysiologyPhysiology

Identifiers

PMID40011311
PMCPMC11865143

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.