Laurisa Arenales Arauz

CURRENT (AND PREVIOUS) FUNCTION: Laurisa Arenales Arauz is a PhD student at the research group Human Physiology and Sports Physiotherapy at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. In 2022 she graduated as Master of Science in Human Movement Sciences with a specialization in healthy aging at the University in Groningen (The Netherlands

RESEARCH AREA: The field of research she will engage includes mental and physical fatigue. Her main aim is to further unravel the fundamental mechanisms of physical and mental fatigue, and how mental fatigue affects physical fatigue. For this purpose, she will investigate the role of neurotransmitters and the involvement of brain areas during the onset of fatigue.

CURRENT RESEARCH QUESTIONS: 

• What is the role of neurotransmitters in the onset of exercise-induced fatigue?
• What are the changes in brain activation associated with physical fatigue and fatigue perception?
• What are the effects of a neurotransmitter reuptake inhibitor on mental fatigue and brain activation?
• What is the role of brain neurotransmitters in the interaction between mental and physical fatigue from a neurophysiological perspective?.