{"title":"Impact of high sugar intake on neurobehavioral, oxidative, and hepatic integrity in mice exposed to simulated chronic jetlag/shiftwork","authors":"Madhumita Mishra , Rajesh Gupta , Vineetkumar Pillai, Muniyandi Singaravel","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115149","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115149","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Circadian misalignment, frequently encountered in shiftwork and trans-meridian travel, disrupts the temporal coordination of physiological processes and increases susceptibility to metabolic, neurobehavioral, and inflammatory disorders. Concurrently, it has been established that high dietary intake of refined sugars poses additional risks to systemic homeostasis. This study investigates the interactive effects of prolonged circadian disruption and sustained high-sucrose intake on neurobehavioral outcomes, metabolic parameters, redox homeostasis, and hepatic integrity in adult male mice. Animals were maintained under either a stable 12 h light:12 h dark cycle or exposed to a 24-day protocol of alternating 8 h phase advances and delays that simulated chronic jetlag/shiftwork. Within each lighting condition, mice consumed either tap water or a 30 % sucrose solution, yielding four experimental groups. Behavioral assays revealed that combined exposure to circadian disruption and sucrose elicited pronounced anxiety-like phenotypes and significant increases in body weight and blood glucose levels. Histological and lipid-specific analyses revealed progressive hepatic steatosis, vacuolization, and lipid accumulation, with pathology most pronounced under combined circadian disruption and sucrose intake. Biochemical analyses showed reduced antioxidant enzyme activities, elevated blood glucose and triglyceride levels, and increased hepatic enzymes, indicating oxidative stress, metabolic disruption, and liver dysfunction. Notably, chronic jetlag alone impaired neurobehavior, redox balance, and liver health, while high sugar intake further amplified these effects. These findings underscore the translational significance of addressing both circadian disruption and dietary excess to mitigate metabolic and psychological risks in individuals exposed to irregular light schedules and high-sugar diets.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115149"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145409825","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-23DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115143
Pablo Rivas-Diaz , Teresa Montoliu , Vanesa Hidalgo , Alicia Salvador
{"title":"Cortisol awakening response and autobiographical memory in healthy older adults: The moderating role of negative reminiscence","authors":"Pablo Rivas-Diaz , Teresa Montoliu , Vanesa Hidalgo , Alicia Salvador","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis’s response to stress, with cortisol as a key hormone, has an important impact on cognitive function. Specifically, the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR), an index of HPA axis functioning, has been linked to declarative memory performance. Autobiographical Memory (AM), a specific form of declarative memory, becomes especially relevant in aging due to its relationship with identity, emotional regulation, and cognitive functioning. However, engaging with the autobiographical past can become maladaptive when it is dominated by negative, self-critical reflections, a pattern referred to as negative reminiscence. This study aimed to examine whether the CAR and negative reminiscence independently predict the specificity of personal memories in healthy older adults, and whether their interaction further explains variability in AM specificity. A sample of 150 healthy older adults (aged 56–81) provided eight saliva samples over two consecutive days to assess the CAR, and they completed standardized measures of AM and reminiscence. Our results showed no significant direct associations between the CAR or negative reminiscence and AM specificity. However, moderation analyses revealed that the CAR significantly predicted a greater tendency to retrieve overgeneral memories, that is, less specific autobiographical memories, but only among individuals with higher negative reminiscence. These results suggest that the way individuals relate to their past plays a key role in the impact of physiological stress on autobiographical recall. The findings underscore the importance of considering both biological and emotional factors to better understand AM in aging.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115143"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145370367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-27DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115148
Abbigail M. Turner , Victoria N. Sluis , Michael P. Ward , Mark E. Hauber
{"title":"Corticosterone shortens foreign egg ejection distance but not latency in American robins (Turdus migratorius)","authors":"Abbigail M. Turner , Victoria N. Sluis , Michael P. Ward , Mark E. Hauber","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Obligate brood parasitic birds often face the removal of their eggs by rejector hosts; for example, in North America, American robins (<em>Turdus migratorius)</em> are robust egg rejectors of non-mimetic brown-headed cowbird (<em>Molothrus ater)</em> eggs. Recent studies have investigated the role of various hormones during the anti-parasitic egg-rejection process. Corticosterone, a steroid hormone often released in response to environmental stressors, has previously been found to increase the propensity for female American robins to reject non-mimetic model eggs. To better understand how corticosterone affects other behaviors during the egg-ejection behavioral complex (e.g., the distance the egg is taken from the nest, the latency of rejection decision), we combined two previously used techniques for (i) non-invasive corticosterone delivery and (ii) spatio-temporal tracking of rejected model eggs in wild female American robins. All subjects rejected the non-mimetic model eggs from their clutch, and through a repeated-measures design, we found that the same female robin reduced her egg-ejection distance in the corticosterone treatment relative to the control. In turn, we did not find a treatment effect for ejection latency, perhaps because all but one female already rejected the model egg rapidly (within one hour). Future work should examine whether other known endocrine mediators of egg rejection, including prolactin, similarly affect aspects of egg rejection behavior in this and other hosts of obligate avian brood parasites.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115148"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145401524","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-21DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115141
Yasamin Baghdadchi , Carl White , Eugene Dimitrov
{"title":"Obesity suppresses hippocampal neurogenesis and impairs memory and executive function in a weight and sex-specific manner","authors":"Yasamin Baghdadchi , Carl White , Eugene Dimitrov","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115141","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115141","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a well-established link between a high-fat diet (HFD) as a cause of obesity, which, in addition to metabolic and cardiovascular pathology, is also associated with memory loss and cognitive decline. We investigated the conditional relationship between HFD, body weight, cognitive performance and adult hippocampal neurogenesis in male and female mice. The mice receiving HFD for three months were heavier and exhibited impaired long-term memory and diminished problem-solving ability in comparison to the groups on standard chow diet (SD). The severity of the cognitive impairment was dependent on their weight as shown by regressive analysis of the data. However, the HFD and increased body weight negatively affected the short-term spatial memory, a hippocampus-dependent task, only in male but not in female mice. Next, we compared the expression of Ki67 and DCX as markers for adult neurogenesis in the subgranular zone of the dentate gyrus of the dorsal hippocampus of mice on SD and HFD. The HFD reduced the densities of Ki67- and DCX-labeled cells only in male but not in the female mice.</div><div>These results revealed that the cognitive impairment triggered by HFD was proportionate to the weight of the mice. However, the female mice preserved the rate of adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus and their cognitive functions in hippocampus-dependent tasks despite being susceptible to the deleterious effects of HFD in other cognitive domains.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115141"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145355812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115124
Paulo DRS Nosé , Lila M Oyama , Gustavo Gomes de Araujo , Natalia de Almeida Rodrigues , Filipe Antonio de Barros Sousa , Sergio Tufik , Ronaldo V Thomatieli-Santos
{"title":"Metabolic changes explain how training mitigates the reduction in strength caused by sleep restriction","authors":"Paulo DRS Nosé , Lila M Oyama , Gustavo Gomes de Araujo , Natalia de Almeida Rodrigues , Filipe Antonio de Barros Sousa , Sergio Tufik , Ronaldo V Thomatieli-Santos","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115124","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115124","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sleep is crucial for maintaining physiological and cognitive functions, including athletic performance; yet, nearly half of adults in Western countries experience sleep restriction. While human studies demonstrate that sleep restriction impairs strength and power performance, the underlying metabolic mechanisms remain poorly understood. This study aimed to characterize the impact of acute sleep restriction on strength performance and metabolic profiles in trained rats using untargeted metabolomics, a robust approach for identifying global biochemical changes. Twenty young adult Wistar rats were divided into two groups: Trained Control (TC) and Trained Sleep Restriction (TSR). All animals performed an initial Maximal Strength Test (MST) and were then trained for six weeks. On the day after the last training session, the animals were subjected to six hours of sleep restriction. At the end of the sleep restriction, the animals were subjected to the MST again and euthanized for blood collection and GC–MS metabolomics analysis. While both groups showed increased strength after training, the sleep-restricted group (TSR) exhibited reduced strength compared to controls (TC) by week 6 (<em>p</em> < 0.001), despite similar muscle glycogen levels. GC–MS Metabolomic Analysis revealed a pattern in the TSR group, characterized by lower concentrations of alanine, glutamine, serine, glycine, lysine, methionine, threonine, ornithine, tyrosine, norvaline, oleic acid, uric acid, and creatinine, as well as increased concentrations of phenylalanine and valine. In conclusion, acute sleep restriction reduced strength performance in trained rats by shifting metabolism away from efficient oxidative pathways, marked by decreased amino acid support for the Krebs cycle and neuromuscular homeostasis, rather than by changes in glycogen availability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115124"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145258966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-17DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115133
Hui Yang , Zhu Gui , Yunling Gao , Wenxiang Yu , Dexin Dang , Ning Zheng , Shaoyong Xu , Jie Wang
{"title":"Chronic adolescent alcohol exposure induces long-term neurofunctional and metabolic dysregulation in adult rats","authors":"Hui Yang , Zhu Gui , Yunling Gao , Wenxiang Yu , Dexin Dang , Ning Zheng , Shaoyong Xu , Jie Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115133","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Adolescent chronic drinking has become increasingly prevalent worldwide, imposing significant physical and mental burdens in adulthood. However, the specific effects of different alcohol doses during adolescence on adult physiology remain incompletely understood. In this study, we established a 12-day chronic alcohol exposure model in adolescent rats using different alcohol doses. Behavioral tests, <sup>13</sup>C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging were then used to examine behavior, neurotransmitter metabolism, and brain functional connectivity in adulthood. We found that long-term low-dose alcohol exposure impairs hepatic metabolic function. In contrast, high-dose alcohol exposure not only induces hepatic metabolic disorders but also alters brain functional connectivity in adulthood and leads to anxiety-like behaviors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115133"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145318527","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-25DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115147
Yue Zong , Shu-cong Peng , Qun Zhang , Guo-hui Yang , Dan Huang , Gang Liu , Yi Wu
{"title":"Differential changes in spinal motor neurons innervating paretic upper limb flexors and extensors after stroke","authors":"Yue Zong , Shu-cong Peng , Qun Zhang , Guo-hui Yang , Dan Huang , Gang Liu , Yi Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115147","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115147","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Post-stroke hemiplegia often leads to a slower and less complete recovery of the paretic upper limb’s extension compared to its flexion. The mechanisms underlying this disparity remain unclear. This study investigated the effects of unilateral photothrombotic stroke on forelimb flexor and extensor muscles in adult mice, with a focus on differential changes in spinal motor neurons. Our comparative analysis demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in the number of motor neurons innervating the extensor muscles post-stroke. Bioinformatics analysis of the transcriptome revealed that genes associated with inflammatory responses and cell chemotaxis were upregulated in the spinal segment innervating the extensors, whereas genes related to cellular repair were upregulated in the segment innervating the flexors. These findings offer insights into the differential recovery of paretic upper limb flexion and extension following stroke.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115147"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145418111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-30DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115152
Marcone Rodrigues da Silva e Santos , Lisandra Brandino de Oliveira
{"title":"Chronic swimming training counteracts sucrose intake increase induced by water deprivation and central angiotensin II","authors":"Marcone Rodrigues da Silva e Santos , Lisandra Brandino de Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115152","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115152","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Angiotensin II (ANG II) induces water intake, sodium appetite and, more recently, its effects on sucrose intake have become interest. Chronic swimming training reduce plasma ANG II levels, basal sucrose intake, but not water intake. Therefore, this study investigated the chronic effect of swimming training on water and sucrose intake induced by 24-hour water deprivation or central injection of ANG II. Male Wistar rats from different cohorts remained sedentary (SED) or underwent swimming training (TR - 1 hour/day, 5 times/week, for 8 weeks, without additional load). Chronic effects of swimming and/or a sedentary lifestyle were checked three days after the end of the exercise protocol by two experiments. Experiment 1: WD-RP (water deprivation-partial rehydration protocol) to check water and sucrose solution intake. Experiment 2 and 3: Involvement of central ANG II (0.4 nmol/μl) and its antagonists (AT1 – losartan (50 nmol/μl) and AT2 - PD 123,319 (30 nmol/μl) in sucrose solution intake. Chronic swimming training prevented the increase in sucrose intake - but not water intake - induced by either water deprivation or central ANG II administration. Both angiotensinergic receptors (AT1 and AT2) are involved on basal sucrose intake (in both sedentary and trained rats) as well as in ANG II-induced sucrose intake (in sedentary rats). These findings suggest that ANG II plays an significant role in regulating sucrose intake, regardless of whether the animals were sedentary or trained. However, this mechanism appears attenuated in trained animals, suggesting that swimming training may activate unidentified pathways that limit ANG II-dependent sucrose intake.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115152"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145422428","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-09DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115123
Alexa J. Pullicin , Juyun Lim
{"title":"Sweet stimuli induce cephalic phase insulin release to varying degrees in humans","authors":"Alexa J. Pullicin , Juyun Lim","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115123","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115123","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous work has shown that oral stimulation with glucose and glucose-containing carbohydrates induces cephalic phase insulin release (CPIR), and that inhibiting the sweet taste receptor, T1R2+T1R3, attenuates this effect in humans. It remains unclear whether perceived sweet taste in the absence of glucose is sufficient to elicit CPIR. To address this, we measured CPIR following oral exposure to glucose and two non-glucose-containing sweet stimuli, fructose and sucralose. Healthy adults (<em>N</em> = 28) attended three sessions where blood samples were collected before and after stimulation with one of the sweeteners. Concentrations of plasma insulin and c-peptide—a surrogate marker co-secreted with insulin in equimolar amounts—were analyzed to assess the response. While glucose and fructose stimulation elicited significant increases in c-peptide and insulin from baseline at 2 min (one-sample <em>t</em>-test, all <em>p</em> < 0.05), sucralose, on average, induced only a trending or non-significant increase (c-peptide, <em>p</em> = 0.08; insulin, <em>p</em> > 0.10). However, when participants’ highest (peak) Δ c-peptide and Δ insulin values were considered, all three stimuli produced significant increases in both markers (all <em>p</em> < 0.005 for c-peptide and insulin). Furthermore, repeated measures ANOVA consistently showed no significant effect of stimulus across all metrics considered—post-stimulation Δ, highest Δ, or AUC values (all <em>p</em> > 0.05)—indicating the three stimuli produced comparable responses across individuals. Notably, individual-level data revealed marked variability in both time course and magnitude of CPIR across all stimuli. These findings indicate that tasting sweet stimuli can trigger CPIR in humans, but its expression varies considerably across individuals.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115123"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145258968","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Physiology & BehaviorPub Date : 2026-01-01Epub Date: 2025-10-24DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115144
Vanessa C. Radtke , Corinna S. Martarelli , Wanja Wolff
{"title":"Task-related effort - distinguishing boredom- and difficulty-related effort via electrodermal activity","authors":"Vanessa C. Radtke , Corinna S. Martarelli , Wanja Wolff","doi":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115144","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exerting effort is central to human performance, with the sources of effort varying across tasks. While traditionally linked to task difficulty, effort may also be required to cope with task-induced boredom. Here, we investigate the temporal dynamics of boredom- and task-difficulty-related effort during cognitive tasks and investigate their physiological correlates using electrodermal activity (EDA). Additionally, we explore whether the effort invested in cognitive tasks affects performance in subsequent physical tasks. Ninety-five participants completed two Stroop tasks (easy, hard) while repeatedly rating their experiences of boredom, task difficulty, related efforts, and fatigue. Each Stroop task was followed by a handgrip task. Results revealed distinct temporal patterns, with boredom, boredom-related effort and fatigue increasing over time, while task difficulty and difficulty-related effort decreased. The easy Stroop elicited greater boredom and fatigue, whereas performing the hard Stroop resulted in higher task difficulty and difficulty-related effort, suggesting that enduring boredom may be more fatiguing than managing task difficulty. Distinct physiological patterns were observed for our effort variables: in the easy Stroop, EDA was positively associated with boredom-related effort but negatively associated with difficulty-related effort. No significant effects were observed in the hard Stroop. Neither difficulty- nor boredom-related effort influenced handgrip performance. Thus, no evidence for ego depletion or mental fatigue effects was found. By differentiating the psychological and physiological correlates of boredom- and difficulty-related effort, this study advances the understanding of the multifaceted nature of effort required during tasks and underscores the role of boredom in shaping cognitive and physiological responses during task performance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20201,"journal":{"name":"Physiology & Behavior","volume":"303 ","pages":"Article 115144"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145418192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}