Mental fatigue in stress-related exhaustion disorder: Structural brain correlates, clinical characteristics and relations with cognitive functioning
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Mental fatigue in stress-related exhaustion disorder : Structural brain correlates, clinical characteristics and relations with cognitive functioning. / Gavelin, Hanna Malmberg; Neely, Anna Stigsdotter; Dunås, Tora; Eskilsson, Therese; Järvholm, Lisbeth Slunga; Boraxbekk, Carl Johan.
I: NeuroImage: Clinical, Bind 27, 102337, 2020.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Mental fatigue in stress-related exhaustion disorder
T2 - Structural brain correlates, clinical characteristics and relations with cognitive functioning
AU - Gavelin, Hanna Malmberg
AU - Neely, Anna Stigsdotter
AU - Dunås, Tora
AU - Eskilsson, Therese
AU - Järvholm, Lisbeth Slunga
AU - Boraxbekk, Carl Johan
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s)
PY - 2020
Y1 - 2020
N2 - Emerging evidence suggests that mental fatigue is a central component of the cognitive and clinical characteristics of stress-related exhaustion disorder (ED). Yet, the underlying mechanisms of mental fatigue in this patient group are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate cortical and subcortical structural neural correlates of mental fatigue in patients with ED, and to explore the association between mental fatigue and cognitive functioning. Fifty-five patients with clinical ED diagnosis underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Mental fatigue was assessed using the Concentration subscale from the Checklist Individual Strength. Patients with high levels of mental fatigue (n = 30) had smaller caudate and putamen volumes compared to patients with low-moderate levels of mental fatigue (n = 25). No statistically significant differences in cortical thickness were observed between the groups. Mediation analysis showed that mental fatigue mediated the relationship between caudate volume and working memory; specifically, smaller caudate volume was associated with higher level of mental fatigue and mental fatigue was positively associated with working memory performance. Our findings demonstrate that the structural integrity of the striatum is of relevance for the subjective perception of mental fatigue in ED, while also highlighting the complex relationship between mental fatigue, cognitive performance and its neural underpinnings.
AB - Emerging evidence suggests that mental fatigue is a central component of the cognitive and clinical characteristics of stress-related exhaustion disorder (ED). Yet, the underlying mechanisms of mental fatigue in this patient group are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate cortical and subcortical structural neural correlates of mental fatigue in patients with ED, and to explore the association between mental fatigue and cognitive functioning. Fifty-five patients with clinical ED diagnosis underwent magnetic resonance imaging. Mental fatigue was assessed using the Concentration subscale from the Checklist Individual Strength. Patients with high levels of mental fatigue (n = 30) had smaller caudate and putamen volumes compared to patients with low-moderate levels of mental fatigue (n = 25). No statistically significant differences in cortical thickness were observed between the groups. Mediation analysis showed that mental fatigue mediated the relationship between caudate volume and working memory; specifically, smaller caudate volume was associated with higher level of mental fatigue and mental fatigue was positively associated with working memory performance. Our findings demonstrate that the structural integrity of the striatum is of relevance for the subjective perception of mental fatigue in ED, while also highlighting the complex relationship between mental fatigue, cognitive performance and its neural underpinnings.
KW - Burnout
KW - Exhaustion disorder
KW - Mental fatigue
KW - Striatum
KW - Working memory
U2 - 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102337
DO - 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102337
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 32652491
AN - SCOPUS:85087517111
VL - 27
JO - NeuroImage: Clinical
JF - NeuroImage: Clinical
SN - 2213-1582
M1 - 102337
ER -
ID: 332184676