Effort, Attention, and Arousal: Brain–Body Mechanisms for Performance in the Real World

Sustained performance in high-stakes, real-world environments places extraordinary demands on the human brain and body. Effort, attention, and arousal are three tightly interwoven constructs that together govern how individuals mobilize cognitive and physiological resources to meet these demands. Nowhere is this more critical than in contexts in which humans are expected to perform in high stakes environments. For example, military personnel, first responders, and individuals of the like must maintain peak cognitive performance under conditions of extreme stress, fatigue, sensory overload, and physical exertion. Despite decades of laboratory research, the neural and peripheral mechanisms underpinning the interaction between mental effort, attentional control, and arousal remain incompletely understood — particularly in the demanding and ecologically complex environments that are present in real-world scenarios.Traditional neuroscience research has largely examined effort, attention, and arousal as isolated constructs, measured under artificial laboratory conditions that poorly reflect the complexity of real-world performance. This Research Topic aims to bridge that gap by bringing together cutting-edge empirical, computational, and methodological work that captures brain–body dynamics as they unfold in operational, near-real-world, and naturalistic contexts. With a particular focus on military and first responder performance, we aim to develop a more unified and ecologically grounded understanding of how the human system regulates cognitive and physical resources under varying and extreme performance demands — including what happens when these regulatory mechanisms fail, risking severe consequences.We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Neural correlates of mental effort and cognitive load in high-demand operational settings• Attentional control mechanisms and their modulation by acute stress, fatigue, sleep deprivation, and arousal• Autonomic and physiological markers of arousal and stress in real-world, operational, contexts, including heart rate variability, pupillometry, and skin conductance• Mobile brain-body imaging (EEG, fNIRS, IMU) in field, simulation, and operational environments• Vigilance decrement and sustained attention during prolonged missions, longitudinal tasks, or training events• Human-machine teaming and operator performance in real world contexts• Individual differences in effort regulation across military or first responder populations, including expertise, training level, and resilience• Neurofeedback, real-time monitoring, and performance optimization tools relevant to applied real-world performance contexts• Stress, trauma, and cognitive performance — including the longer-term effects of operational exposure or chronic stress on attentional and arousal regulation• Applied contexts beyond the military and first responders, including aviation, elite sports, and clinical care settings Topic editors: Rachel Amey, Fabio Di Bello, Jennifer A. Bugos Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83641/effort-attention-and-arousal-brain-body-mechanisms-for-performance-in-the-real-world