Free full text: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12576-015-0399-y
The Journal of Physiological Sciences
November 2015, Volume 65, Issue 6, pp 483–498
Frontier studies on fatigue, autonomic nerve dysfunction, and sleep-rhythm disorder
Open Access
- Masaaki Tanaka,
- Seiki Tajima,
- Kei Mizuno,
- Akira Ishii,
- Yukuo Konishi,
- Teruhisa Miike,
- Yasuyoshi Watanabe
Review
First Online:
29 September 2015
Received:
30 August 2015
Accepted:
01 September 2015
DOI: 10.1007/s12576-015-0399-y
Abstract
Fatigue is defined as a condition or phenomenon of decreased ability and efficiency of mental and/or physical activities, caused by excessive mental or physical activities, diseases, or syndromes.
It is often accompanied by a peculiar sense of discomfort, a desire to rest, and reduced motivation, referred to as fatigue sensation.
Acute fatigue is a normal condition or phenomenon that disappears after a period of rest; in contrast, chronic fatigue, lasting at least 6 months, does not disappear after ordinary rest.
Chronic fatigue impairs activities and contributes to various medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, epileptic seizures, and death.
In addition, many people complain of chronic fatigue.
For example, in Japan, more than one third of the general adult population complains of chronic fatigue.
It would thus be of great value to clarify the mechanisms underlying chronic fatigue and to develop efficient treatment methods to overcome it.
Here, we review data primarily from behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging experiments related to neural dysfunction as well as autonomic nervous system, sleep, and circadian rhythm disorders in fatigue.
These data provide new perspectives on the mechanisms underlying chronic fatigue and on overcoming it.
Keywords
Autonomic nervous system Central nervous system Circadian rhythm Fatigue Sleep