ABSTRACT

Controlling attention during endurance exercises can be a complex task for the human brain. This is mainly because internal bodily cues exert a major influence on one’s attentional focus during exercises performed at moderate and high intensities. Further understanding of the cerebral mechanisms that underlie attentional control during endurance tasks has the potential to imbue researchers with greater theoretical knowledge to investigate psychological and psychophysiological responses to exercise. In the present article, the author explores the neural basis of attentional focus during endurance tasks performed at various intensities. Compelling evidence indicates that subcortical regions such as the cingulate gyrus processes interoceptive signals relayed by the thalamus and recreate the sensations of discomfort. Consequently, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may become active in order to partially assuage fatigue-related symptoms. The mechanisms described herein also indicate that frontal and parietal regions function in an orchestrated manner to prioritise processing of task-related information (e.g. distance covered) and prevent irrelevant signals from entering focal awareness during endurance tasks performed at moderate and high intensities.

摘要

在耐力运动中控制注意力对人脑来说可能是一项复杂的任务。这主要是因为在中等和高强度的锻炼中，身体内部的线索对一个人的注意力集中度产生重大影响。进一步了解耐力任务中注意力控制的大脑机制有可能使研究人员具有更多的理论知识，以研究对运动的心理和心理生理反应。在本文中，作者探讨了在不同强度下进行耐力任务时注意力集中的神经基础。令人信服的证据表明，皮层下区域，如扣带回，处理丘脑传递的内感受信号，并重新产生不适感。最后，右背外侧前额叶皮层可能会变得活跃，以部分缓解疲劳相关的症状。这里描述的机制还表明，额叶和顶叶区域以协调的方式起作用，以优先处理与任务相关的信息（例如覆盖的距离），并在以中等和高强度执行的耐力任务期间防止不相关的信号进入焦点意识。