title: Job burnout is associated with dysfunctions in brain mechanisms of voluntary and involuntary attention.
abstract: Individuals with job burnout symptoms often report having cognitive difficulties, but related electrophysiological studies are scarce. We assessed the impact of burnout on performing a visual task with varying memory loads, and on involuntary attention switch to distractor sounds using scalp recordings of event-related potentials (ERPs). Task performance was comparable between burnout and control groups. The distractor sounds elicited a P3a response, which was reduced in the burnout group. This suggests burnout-related deficits in processing novel and potentially important events during task performance. In the burnout group, we also observed a decrease in working-memory related P3b responses over posterior scalp and increase over frontal areas. These results suggest that burnout is associated with deficits in cognitive control needed to monitor and update information in working memory. Successful task performance in burnout might require additional recruitment of anterior regions to compensate the decrement in posterior activity.
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland. Electronic address: laura.sokka@ttl.fi.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sokka
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leinikka
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jussi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Korpela
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Henelius
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Lauri
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ahonen
authors.affiliation: Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alain
authors.affiliation: Institute of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1-5, P.O. Box 9, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland; Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Thunbergsvägen 2, 75238 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kimmo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Alho
authors.affiliation: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41 b, FI-00250 Helsinki, Finland; CICERO Learning Network, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 1-5, P.O. Box 9, FI-00014 University of Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Minna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huotilainen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D002055:Burnout, Professional / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Attention; Event-related potentials (ERP); Job burnout; P3a; P3b