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Effects of concurrent physical and cognitive demands on muscle activity and heart rate variability in a repetitive upper-extremity precision task

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European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Most previous studies of concurrent physical and cognitive demands have addressed tasks of limited relevance to occupational work, and with dissociated physical and cognitive task components. This study investigated effects on muscle activity and heart rate variability of executing a repetitive occupational task with an added cognitive demand integral to correct task performance.

Methods

Thirty-five healthy females performed 7.5 min of standardized repetitive pipetting work in a baseline condition and a concurrent cognitive condition involving a complex instruction for correct performance. Average levels and variabilities of electromyographic activities in the upper trapezius and extensor carpi radialis (ECR) muscles were compared between these two conditions. Heart rate and heart rate variability were also assessed to measure autonomic nervous system activation. Subjects also rated perceived fatigue in the neck–shoulder region, as well as exertion.

Results

Concurrent cognitive demands increased trapezius muscle activity from 8.2 % of maximum voluntary exertion (MVE) in baseline to 9.0 % MVE (p = 0.0005), but did not significantly affect ECR muscle activity, heart rate, heart rate variability, perceived fatigue or exertion.

Conclusion

Trapezius muscle activity increased by about 10 %, without any accompanying cardiovascular response to indicate increased sympathetic activation. We suggest this slight increase in trapezius muscle activity to be due to changed muscle activation patterns within or among shoulder muscles. The results suggest that it may be possible to introduce modest cognitive demands necessary for correct performance in repetitive precision work without any major physiological effects, at least in the short term.

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Abbreviations

Bpm:

Beats per minute

DET:

Percentage of determinism in the recurrence map

ECG:

Electrocardiography

ECR:

Extensor carpi radialis

EMG:

Electromyography

HF:

High frequency

HRV:

Heart rate variability

IBI:

Inter-beat intervals

LF:

Low frequency

MVC:

Maximum voluntary contraction

MVE:

Maximum voluntary electrical activation

Phy:

Baseline physical task

Phy + Cog:

Concurrent task with physical and cognitive demands

RmEn:

Shannon entropy of the sequential recurrent map

RMS:

Root mean square

RMSSD:

Root mean-squared successive differences between IBIs

SaEn:

Sample entropy

SD:

Standard deviation

SDNN:

Standard deviation of inter-beat intervals

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (Forte Dnr. 2009–1761 and 2011–0075). The sponsors did not influence the collection, analysis and interpretation of data, writing of the manuscript or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. We would like to acknowledge the contributions of Nisse Larsson and Majken Rahm for their assistance in the collection of data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Occupational and Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Centre for Musculoskeletal Research, University of Gävle, 801 76, Gävle, Sweden

    Divya Srinivasan, Svend Erik Mathiassen, David M. Hallman & Eugene Lyskov

  2. Laboratory for Ergonomics and Work-related Disorders, Physical Activity and Human Performance Group, SMI, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Fredrik Bajers Vej 7 D-3, 9220, Aalborg East, Denmark

    Afshin Samani & Pascal Madeleine

Authors
  1. Divya Srinivasan
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  2. Svend Erik Mathiassen
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  3. David M. Hallman
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  4. Afshin Samani
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  5. Pascal Madeleine
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  6. Eugene Lyskov
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Correspondence to Divya Srinivasan.

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Communicated by Fausto Baldissera.

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Srinivasan, D., Mathiassen, S.E., Hallman, D.M. et al. Effects of concurrent physical and cognitive demands on muscle activity and heart rate variability in a repetitive upper-extremity precision task. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 227–239 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3268-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3268-8

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