Subjective Feelings Of Fatigue Research Articles

Relations between the symptoms and the feeling of fatigue.

Abstract In the investigation of fatigue in industrial workers, the subjective feeling of fatigue experienced by them should be especially taken into consideration. This is because industrial fatigue in the real situation is considered to be fatigue expressed in the attitude, orientation and adjustment of the worker. Many researchers have used the subjective symptoms test of fatigue as a means of measuring the feeling of fatigue, and have identified the frequency of complaints of symptoms with the amount of feelings of fatigue. However, strictly speaking, the feeling of fatigue signifies over-all unpleasantness experienced by workers, and is not quite the same as complaints of symptoms of fatigue. As a part of the assessment of the work load of bank clerks and broadcasting workers, the present authors let them rate the degree of their feeling of fatigue using a 9 point scale. The results of the rating were investigated in relation to the subjective symptoms test of fatigue. (1) There was found to be a hig...

Maintaining concentration (TAF) as a measure of mental stress.

Abstract Fatigue has been discussed both in physiological and psychological tonus. Undoubtedly these two aspects of fatigue interact upon each other and it may be difficult to distinguish between the two. It is known that a certain degree of change in human functions caused by work-load may result in lowered activity, and produce a subjective feeling of fatigue. For fatigue evaluation, the latter may serve only as a reference, while the former may be measured in terms of performance, which must be a combined output of mental activity and physiological functions. A solution to this problem may be the TAF-test, which has been devised as a now quantitative fatigue test based on the concept of TAF. The average level of the TAF curve (TAF-L.) and its standard deviation (TAF-D) are compared for pre-and post-work values and/or among different groups statistically. As to the qualitative or psychological aspect, it is generally accepted that stress stimuli bring about certain neurophysiological changes. At present, the mecholyl test is recognized as a reliable means of showing the strength of homeostatic defence in the hypothalamus. However, in comparison to the dangers of the mecholyl test, the CPT-swing degree, which we have developed, may safely be used to identify the qualitative nature of the stress. It is concluded that fatigue can be dealt with quantitatively by the TAF-test and qualitatively by the CPT-swing degree.

Maximum frequency of lift acceptable to male industrial workers.

Abstract This paper describes an experiment which utilized a psychophysical approach to determine maximum frequencies of lift acceptable to male industrial workers. Eight subjects were required to lift continuously either a 35-pound or a 50-pound tote box through a 20-inch distance at each of three different heights. The lifting task was paced by a repeating timer which the subject controlled according to his subjective feelings of fatigue. Visual cues were minimized as much as possible. Nonsignificant differences among three replications of the experiment lend strong support for the psychophysical methodology. Comparison of the results with an earlier physiological study reveals that a smaller mean and standard deviation were obtained in this experiment. Negative correlations between selected frequency of lift and subject height and weight are very similar to those reported by other investigators.

Fatigue, impairment, and psychomotor learning.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of impairment from physical activity on the subjective feelings of fatigue and on psycho-motor learning. Ss, 80 college men students, were divided into five groups equated on the basis of an initial trial on the Snoddy Stabilimeter. Four of the groups participated in physical activities requiring varying degrees of energy output completed in a 5-min. period. Two levels of bicycle ergometer pedalling and treadmill running comprised the activities. The control group sat quietly. Pulse rates were taken before and after the activity and recovery periods. Following the physical work (rest for the control group) Ss completed one practice on the Snoddy Stabilimeter. A score was recorded on each of six practices held on alternate days. Similar comparative data were obtained from a second psycho-motor skill, the Rotary Pursuit meter, on which Ss completed one 30-sec. practice following a 10-min. rest. It was found that the over-all rate of learning of the control group was significantly higher than that of the experimental groups as shown by level of performance on Day 6 Snoddy Stabilimeter scores. The four experimental groups had experienced different levels of energy, yet there were no significant differences among them in stabilimeter learning rate. Following the rest no significant differences were found among the groups in level of learning on the Rotary Pursuit meter. On the basis of group scores Ss who participated in grossly different energy cost activities gave different ratings of felt fatigue, but very low correlations were found between individual pulse changes following the activities and subjective ratings of fatigue experienced. The minimum levels of fatigue and pulse changes experienced by the bicycle freewheel group were sufficient to produce a detrimental effect on psycho-motor learning in the immediate post-activity period. Higher changes in pulse and more intense feelings of fatigue were not related to further decreases in the level of learning.

THE INTLUENCE OF NASAL OBSTRUCTION ON THE EFFICIENCY OF WORK By T. OKUDA

The author studied the influence of nasal obstruction on the efficiency of work. Conclusions were as follows: 1. In those with nasal obstruction, there were obvious subjective symptoms and these were aggravated by the labor. 2. Subjective feeling of fatigue was influenced by the nasal obstruction. 3. In postoperative cases, those without improvement of nasal obstruction had more fatigue feeling than those with improved nasal obstruction. 4. Those with nasal obstruction showed higher value in flicker fatigue test even before the start of the work and the value remarkably became higher compared with those in normal in- dividuals. Effect of mental work was not great as that of muscular work. 5. These evidences were re:ognized also in experimental acute nasal obstruction. 6. Decreased repiratory function was observed in 30% of the case with chronic nasal ob- struction. 7. Decreased respiratory function was seen among those with postoperative residual nasal obstruction in similar frequency among the non-surgical patients with nasal obstruction. In those without nasal obstruction, the respiratory function was within normal limits. 8. Blood chemistry of those with nasal obstruction showed generally, low oxygenation, low oxygen saturation, and also slight decrease of total carbon dioxide and alkali reserve. 9. From above mentioned evidences, it seems like easy fatiguability in those with nasal obstruction is mainly due to anoxic anoxia caused by decreased respiratory function.

Vitamins B1and C in Effort Syndrome

“Effort syndrome” is a comprehensive term applied conveniently to a group of conditions not apparently due to organic disease, characterized primarily by effort intolerance and manifesting breathlessness, palpitation, left chest pain and a subjective feeling of fatigue on even mild exertion. Vegetative lability on emotional excitement, e.g. palpitation, sweating, giddiness, etc., are described by the patient and may be objectively observed. We have found the simplest and most convenient classification of E.S. patients to be into (a) primarily constitutional, and (b) primarily neurotic groups. In the former (Group 1) the patient has had a poor physical endowment since earliest recollection, to which he has responded in a neurotic manner. In this sense there is a psychological aetiology, but the constitutional factor is the basic one. In the primarily neurotic group (Group 2) there is a definite psychopathology and the usual factors determining a neurosis apply: constitutional physical inferiority, if present, colours the whole picture, but is of only secondary importance. The whole problem has been studied in some detail in the E.S. Unit at this hospital, where more than 2,000 cases have been treated since the end of 1939 (Guttmann and Jones, 1940; Wood, 1941; Lewis, 1941; Jones and Lewis, 1941; Jones and Scarisbrick, 1941, 1942 and 1943).