NATO STO

Endurance is typically conceptualized as the ability to sustain physical performance continuously over an extended period of time. But the concept of endurance is equally applicable to the cognitive realm: mental endurance is likewise the ability to continuously perform a cognitive task (e.g., surveillance duties) over an extended period of time. For both physical and mental performance, extended ‘time on task’ results in the accrual of “fatigue” – broadly defined as a disinclination to continue performing the task at hand. And in both cases, the resulting fatigue can to some extent be counteracted (i.e., performance deficits can be delayed or avoided) by the application of increased “effort.” Much is known about physical (e.g., muscular) endurance, fatigue, and recovery. Less clear is the extent to which mental and physical endurance are mediated via common mechanisms (e.g., sleep, nutrition, mood, etc.) and the extent to which, and how, they interact. For example, it is known that an increased cognitive load results in a subsequently reduced physical ability, but the psychobiological underpinnings of this interaction have not yet been determined. Modern neurobiological technologies and advances now make it possible to map military risk factors for fatigue back to the common final pathways affecting brain and behavior. Previous work by NATO RTG 260 has developed common approaches to physiological monitoring of warfighter status, including a start on sleep and alertness monitoring technologies. Currently, there is a need to extend this work in a panel on the neuropsychology of mental endurance, considering and expanding the technology for enhancing warfighter endurance through biofeedback and providing insights to autonomous systems to improve the effectiveness of man-machine interactions.