Fig. 1
From: Frontier studies on fatigue, autonomic nerve dysfunction, and sleep-rhythm disorder
Autonomic function can be evaluated by electrocardiography or plethysmography. Frequency analysis of the data obtained from electrocardiography and accelerated plethysmography have revealed that enhanced sympathetic nerve activity based on a decrease in parasympathetic nerve activity is common in acute, sub-acute, and chronic fatigue. Alteration of autonomic function may result in changes and imbalances in neural activities in the central autonomic network of the brain, including the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices. Several interventions for the alleviation of fatigue are effective in decreasing sympathetic nerve activity. Evaluation of autonomic function contributes to investigating the effects of interventions for recovery from fatigue