Motivation depends on how the brain processes fatigue
Fatigue – the feeling of exhaustion from doing effortful tasks – is something we all experience daily. It makes us lose motivation and want to take a break. Although scientists understand the mechanisms the brain uses to decide whether a given task is worth the effort, the influence of fatigue on this process is not yet well understood.
The research team conducted a study to investigate the impact of fatigue on a person’s decision to exert effort. They found that people were less likely to work and exert effort – even for a reward – if they were fatigued. The results are published in Nature Communications.
Intriguingly, the researchers found that there were two different types of fatigue that were detected in distinct parts of the brain. In the first, fatigue is experienced as a short-term feeling, which can be overcome after a short rest. Over time, however, a second, longer term feeling builds up, stops people from wanting to work, and doesn’t go away with short rests.
“We found that people’s willingness to exert effort fluctuated moment by moment, but gradually declined as they repeated a task over time,” says Tanja Müller, first author of the study, based at the University of Oxford. “Such changes in the motivation to work seem to be related to fatigue – and sometimes make us decide not to persist.”
The team tested 36 young, healthy people on a computer-based task, where they were asked to exert physical effort to obtain differing amounts of monetary rewards. The participants completed more than 200 trials and in each, they were asked if they would prefer to ‘work’ – which involved squeezing a grip force device – and gain the higher rewards offered, or to rest and only earn a small reward.
The team built a mathematical model to predict how much fatigue a person would be feeling at any point in the experiment, and how much that fatigue was influencing their decisions of whether to work or rest.
While performing the task, the participants also underwent an MRI scan, which enabled the researchers to look for activity in the brain that matched the predictions of the model.
They found areas of the brain’s frontal cortex had activity that fluctuated in line with the predictions, while an area called the ventral striatum signalled how much fatigue was influencing people’s motivation to keep working.
“This work provides new ways of studying and understanding fatigue, its effects on the brain, and on why it can change some people’s motivation more than others” says Dr Matthew Apps, senior author of the study, based at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Human Brain Health. “This helps begin to get to grips with something that affects many patients lives, as well as people while at work, school, and even elite athletes.
We already knew that vegan was best, now we break down some myths.
Sticking to a low-fat, vegan diet may help people with multiple sclerosis fight fatigue, according to a new study presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in Philadelphia.
The study, which began in 2008, is the first randomized-controlled trial to examine the effect of a low fat vegan diet on managing MS, an…
I like to have this saved in my phone so I can show friends, family, or random people who are curious to understand the spoon theory and for them to get a better understanding of what we have to do/think about every day.
college is catered towards the able bodied and able minded. school applauds people who can stay up all night, skip meals, and work endlessly. that kind of extreme contribution is expected. why are disabled people being squeezed out of academic institutions? why should I feel inferior because of some arbitrary and ridiculous standard?
The undying truth.
Not to mention, every college campus Ive ever been on is MADE of stairs and hills.
I tried to talk to one of my college professors about my ADHD once and he literally stopped me and said if I couldn’t handle it I shouldn’t be there
Read the book Academic Ableism on this subject. It’s an excellent read and I genuinely think about it all the time still even though I read it a couple years ago.
It furthers the oppression of disabled people by screening out doctors and medpros who might have personal experience and therefore SOME FUCKING SYMPATHY. I absolutely hate it. That shit is part of why we have patient hostile gatekeeping horseshit around pain relief and panic relief. Among so many other institutional sins.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease characterized by profound fatigue, sleep abnormalities, pain, and other symptoms that are made worse by exertion.
Adrenal fatigue is a condition that has been covered in medical literature for over 100 years. In recent years, however, the prevalence of adrenal fatigue has increased.
A condition that occurs as a result of stress over prolonged periods, adrenal fatigue has symptoms that may feel similar to chronic fatigue, but it cannot be healed with sleep and rest alone.
The common symptoms associated with adrenal fatigue include feeling lethargic, a general feeling of being unwell, tiredness where you may feel “wired,” and poor sleep quality.
While plants and herbs can help to treat adrenal fatigue, these need to form part of an overall healthy lifestyle with quality food, exercise, and adequate sleep. To learn more about the benefits and uses of medicinal herbs for adrenal fatigue CLICK HERE:https://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com/adrenal-fatigue-herbs.html Post link
Here’s a quick update to changes to the treatment plan for this year:
1) The ‘anti-listeria’ diet we are asked to follow has been extended to a month before the treatment starts. We had of course been told this prior to this meeting, but she explained that it was because there had been a death caused by listeria in a patient receiving Alemtuzumab. (Thank goodness I’d followed the instructions, hey!)
2) We would be taking a second tablet (in addition to the acyclovir) home with us this year; it’s an antibiotic called Co-Trimoxazole (2x480mg a day for 30 days, each containing: 80mg Trimethoprim & 400mg Sulfamethoxazole), which has been shown to decrease the risk of getting ill whilst our immune systems are very low.
So, for the second round of Alemtuzumab I had 3 days of treatment. I’m not entirely certain why it’s shorter than the first year, but I do know that this is the standard protocol. This year wasn’t very different from last year except, I suppose, that it was a little easier. I’m not sure if that was because I knew what to expect, or that fewer days meant that my body felt less bombarded (or maybe a bit of both?), but either way, I was glad for it!
(This is Morriston the sloth (named after the hospital that my neuro team are based in) sitting in the chair that was my home for the three days of my treatment this year.)
Day one
We started today with some introductions: Mark & I had a new buddy this year called Jenny (also in her 2nd year) and we all met the new neurologist that has been added to our neuro team; both were great. We then each had a little consultation with said neuro who just went through a few things and did a quick series of tests. All we had to do then was wait for the results of our urine tests, take an antiviral & antihistamine, to be cannulated and we were good to go.
There was around an hour of steroids and then 4ish hours of the Alemtuzumab, followed by 2 hours of observation and a blood test. We had half-hourly obs all day and we mainly looked after by 2 nurses. The unit we were in was being shared with the renal department so there was a steady stream of their patients coming in and out for various treatments all day.
I spent this day in quite a lot of discomfort but I knew it was to be expected. The nurses gave me some paracetamol and said that it was good because it meant it was working. At the time all I wanted to do was cry, but looking back on it that was the worst part of the treatment this year and it really wasn’t that bad.
Mum & I stayed in a hotel again as it was much easier and safer to be near the hospital. I was pretty tired after the first day but when trying to sleep I became VERY restless.
(Cannula number 1)
Day two
I had kept the cannula in from the day before so today started a lot faster than the first. All I had to do was wait for my urine test to show all clear and for the blood results from day one to confirm that the treatment had done what it was meant to do. Both were fine, so, after taking an antiviral and antihistamine again, off we went. I had a headache this day and was quite sleepy, but that was pretty much it.
(Half of the obs sheet from day 2)
Day three
I’d kept the cannula in again for this day but about 30 minutes into the steroids it had to be taken out and replaced on the other side. It was a little painful and the infusion seemed to be going quite slowly so it was decided that it was best to change it. Turned out that was a good idea as when it came out the tube was so bent they didn’t even know how it had been going through in the first place (haha). Apart from that the same morning routine from the day before was followed. I was a little flushed this day and had a bit of a temperature but they both went down by the end of the day. I was a lot more tired so spent a lot of the day in and out of sleeping. I did get a small rash, but NOTHING compared to the one I got last year!
So, that was Round 2…hopefully my last! I have a check-up appointment with one of my neurologists in a month and will have an MRI in June(ish) and then we’ll go from there. Keep your fingers crossed for me!
I just wanted to add a quick thank you to my Mum, sisters and friends that looked after me and messaged me throughout these 3 days! Oh, and the awesome neuro team at Morriston (thank goodness for the NHS!!)!
I haven’t had to update this in a while, which has been good, in this case no news really has been good(ish) news.
So what’s happened since last April? To sum up:
> I caught so many bugs it was unbelievable, but none of them caused any hospital visits and as my immune system regained its strength I did stop catching everything.
> I have Trigeminal Neuralgia & take Carbamazapine to stop it from causing me pain, which coincidentally has also seemed to help my back problems.
> I still have to use crutches every so often, but much less than I was starting to use them.
> I’ve had 3 mysterious skin allergic reactions (as shown in previous post), around 10 issues with my eye - itching/pain - that was stopped by piriton - & now have very dry skin/eczema on my eyelids (Aveeno cream clears it up within 24 each time). The GP I saw has suggested that this is all an allergic reaction to the TN meds, but the TN is definitely still worse than all of that. I’m yet to see if my neuro agrees…
> I had a 2 week spell of headaches behind the eyes couple with some mild vertigo recently, but optician couldn’t find an issue, neither could the GP. Again, yet to really bring it up with anyone on the MS team.
> Fatigue, stiffness and memory issues are unfortunately still ever present, but I think they might be something that stick with me for ever to be honest.
> There have (of course) been other issues here & there, but right now none spring to mind…
Luckily the second round of antivirals worked it’s magic and I’ve been shingle free for a while now. There’s also been nothing new to report and I haven’t heard anything about the results of my blood tests/etc. which I’m hoping is a good sign!
Still very fatigued, but coping well apart from that.
I’m back on the anti-virals again as it would appear I have shingles - poo. I actually feel ok to be honest, but where the little scabs are is very sore to the touch and a little itchy. I noticed 5 tiny little see-through blister things in a line on the right side of my tummy which were very painful to touch. We didn’t know what they were so ‘burst’ them (they were tiny so this didn’t take too much effort), but this morning they were still on the painful side so decided to call the out of hours doctor (darn bank holidays). I’m now on 800mg of aciclovir 5 times a day for 7 days. What a way to spend a lovely sunny day! Haha
I had my first check up since treatment. Went to the hospital an hour early, as instructed by my neuro, to have bloods done. There was an hour delay (nothing new there haha) so thought my results would definitely be there for my actual appointment…I was wrong! So I’m not entirely sure how my immune system is doing, or what my t-cell count is, but I haven’t heard anything from my neuro team since, so I’m thinking the results couldn’t have been that bad.
On the plus side I got to catch up with Mark and compare how we were. Whilst in the waiting room met a guy that had just finished Lemtrada (so 5 years on) who was kind enough to answer all the questions I kept on throwing at him. We also had a laugh at how warped our humour has become since being diagnosed with MS, something which hadn’t occured to me before that, but I suppose its par for the course.
Oh, and I was taught how to read a urine dipstick test, so there’s that…
Symptom udate: I am still having headaches which neuro says sound like migraines (which I have had in the past). Still VERY tired, possibly less over the last week, but could be that I’m just getting used to this level. My memory and (spoken) word recall seems to be getting worse and the ability to properly concentrate seems to have stopped for the time being. Altered sensation here and there with a bit of stiffness in my limbs - mainly left side (all happened before treatment too). On a good note, I have finally gotten rid if the cold I had (yay!).
Going back to work has been…um…interesting. Everyone has been so supportive and helpful, but I am just sooo shattered all of the time. I have just finished 3 days with a shift on each and I feel ready to sleep for a week. I’ve got work tomorrow, but then 3 days off thank goodness!
I suffered from fatigue before Lemtrada, but it does seem to have become worse. I was pretty sure this was going to happen, but I was hoping I’d break the rule.
I am managing to work the shifts with little to no issue and am not making any mistakes that I’m aware of, however after the shifts is another matter: I become pretty useless physically and have cognitive issues too (remembering words, concentrating, understanding the simplest of things, etc.).
All of this is expected, but I’m hoping it will improve in the not too distant future!
Thursday just gone was my first day back at work. It was only a 4.5 hours shift and a very quiet one at that, but once I was home my back and legs decided they’d had enough. So I ended up spending the rest of the day in bed, in discomfort. The shift itself was fine though; I was a little more tired than I have been recently, but I was expecting that.
My second day back (a 4 hour shit) was a little more interesting: I spent the last hour or so with a full body tremor. It was only low level, so no one really noticed, but it wasn’t all that fun. I also had to use the inhaler that my neuro team gave me at the start of my treatment a few times as my chest was feeling really tight. I also felt more drained than my first day back, but then that makes sense seeing as how I’d worked the day before too. The first half hour after work I was fine, although the tremor continued, but after that my left leg became oddly painful (possibly the bone pain I was warned about?). That continued until I took some paracetamol and had a rest (not sure which helped more to be honest).
All in all it wasn’t as bad as I’d expected but I did come away from work smelling of anti-bac!
Me: I have tried and tested my physical boundaries for 15 years, I know what I can and can’t do. I’m not a school child any more, nobody can force me to actively and knowingly hurt myself. CripplePunk4eva it’s a revolution I suppose.
Also me: Pain is temporary, the social repercussions of not keeping up and doing your part are not. Sure I can carry that thing as well :)
Just realized I’m never at a 0 on a fatigue scale, at my best I’m at like.. a 1-3?
I always feel like.. kinda dozey? (Like when you get yawny but not really tired) and my legs and arms feel kinda like how they might feel after a workout or smth.
Wack how people just don’t feel at least a little tired.
shadow, ai am begging you to tell me right now that being fatigued at all time is typical. please. because ai am always at least a two.
I hate to be the one to inform you /lh
Most people are at a 0
2. It’s been like that for a year and a half. It was stupidly high but becuase I can’t just say no I had to go to school. Nightmare
