MASKING AS AN INDICATOR OF NEURAL FATIGUE: A PRELIMINARY STUDY

The objective of the research is to determine whether or not the basic neural phenomenon of "masking" (the ability of a visual stimulus to inhibit the detection of another, target stimulus) can be used as an indicator of the state of fatigue or stress of an individual's nervous system. Fatiguing the visual system by prolonged viewing of a moving pattern results in the reduction of the apparent brightness of a moving line. The ability of the line to "mask" a target stimulus is also reduced, by the amount which occurs when the physical intensity of the line is lowered by an amount equal to the apparent decrease in brightness as a result of fatigue. These results suggest the possibility that the "masking" phenomenon may serve as a measure of the state of fatigue of the nervous system or of the effect of a variety of other stresses and may be an indicator of incipient disability of the individual.

• Corporate Authors:

  Naval Submarine Medical Research Laboratory

  Groton, CT  United States 
• Authors:
  • Luria, S M
  • Ryan, A P
• Publication Date: 1972-5-23

Media Info

• Pagination: 13 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Personnel performance; Physiological fatigue; Stress (Psychology); Tolerance (Physiology); Tolerance (Psychology)
• Old TRIS Terms: Human performance; Tolerance (Physiological); Tolerance (Psychological)
• Subject Areas: Education and Training; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00314944
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 27 1980 12:00AM