{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T05:18:10Z","timestamp":1783487890046,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":34,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783468800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Physiol."],"abstract":"<jats:p>Decoding the dynamic physiological responses of the human central and autonomic nervous systems to sustained cognitive loads is essential for occupational health and neuroergonomics. This study investigates the multidimensional neurophysiological mechanisms of fatigue during complex human-machine interactions, utilizing a simulated agricultural operation paradigm. We developed a multimodal \u201ceye-brain-heart\u201d physio-logging framework, synchronously recording 21-channel EEG, ECG, and pupillometry in 12 experienced subjects over a continuous 5-hour protocol. Given the controlled small-sample and male-only cohort, the present study was positioned as an exploratory within-subject investigation rather than a definitive validation study. Cross-channel coupling analysis suggested task-associated divergence in multimodal physiological fatigue signatures, which was not fully consistent with a simple monolithic accumulation pattern. High-demand interactive tasks induced an \u201cactive overload\u201d state, associated with sustained prefrontal beta synchronization, continuous pupillary dilation consistent with elevated cognitive arousal, and sympathetic dominance. Conversely, monotonous monitoring tasks triggered \u201cpassive deprivation, \u201c marked by physiological patterns consistent with task disengagement, prominent parieto-occipital alpha bursts, and a transition to parasympathetic vagal control. These findings provide preliminary evidence that, under the present experimental conditions, occupational cognitive fatigue may be better described as a context-specific neurophysiological divergence rather than a uniform vigilance decrement. The proposed multimodal fingerprint may help reduce the diagnostic ambiguity of single-channel assessments, providing an exploratory neuroergonomic basis for adaptive interventions to preserve optimal physiological states in high-demand operational environments. Further validation in larger, gender-diverse, and more heterogeneous operator cohorts is required before generalizing these findings to broader agricultural populations.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fphys.2026.1871218","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]],"date-time":"2026-07-08T04:47:50Z","timestamp":1783486070000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Divergent eye\u2013brain\u2013heart fatigue signatures during sustained simulated agricultural operations"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"17","author":[{"given":"Zhizheng","family":"Hu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Xiangyu","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhende","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Orthopaedic Medical Center, The Second Hospital of Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chun","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhihui","family":"Qian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Bionics Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Lei","family":"Ren","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Key Laboratory of Bionics Engineering, Ministry of Education, Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hailin","family":"Kui","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, Jilin University","place":["Changchun, Jilin, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,8]]},"reference":[{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"158266","DOI":"10.1109\/ACCESS.2025.3606900","article-title":"A multimodal systematic review of drivers\u2019 fatigue detection methodologies, datasets, and models","volume":"13","author":"Ajayi","year":"2025","journal-title":"IEEE Access"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1991","DOI":"10.3390\/s17091991","article-title":"A hybrid approach to detect driver drowsiness utilizing physiological signals to improve system performance and wearability","volume":"17","author":"Awais","year":"2017","journal-title":"Sensors"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"7","DOI":"10.1007\/s40279-022-01748-2","article-title":"Fatigue and human performance: An updated framework","volume":"53","author":"Behrens","year":"2023","journal-title":"Sports. 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