A new study examined the cognitive burden of mentally taxing assignments. The study examines the metabolic changes in the brain during exhaustion, thereby linking mental fatigue with neurometabolism. Participants working long hours on challenging projects had higher levels of glutamate in the brain's prefrontal cortex by the end of the day than those with more manageable tasks. Glutamate is an essential signaling molecule in the brain, but its accumulation can disrupt brain function.
At the end of the workday, exhausted people are likelier to opt for short-term, easy solutions than meaningful rewards that require a longer wait or involve more effort. Therefore, rests are necessary to restore the proper level and regulation of the molecule.
How does the recovery of glutamate occur in the brain? Some studies indicate that glutamate concentrations decrease during sleep, proportional to EEG slow-wave activity. It is speculated that the extracellular glutamate may be cleared during rest or sleep.
Read more: Wiehler, A., Branzoli, F., Adanyeguh, I., Mochel, F. & Pessiglione, M. Curr. Biol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.010 (2022).
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