NEW APPROACHES TO THE ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF VIGILANCE BEHAVIOR (DRIVER AROUSAL)

Two expanded approaches to the assessment of the physiological correlates of vigilance behavior are proposed: heart rate within the context of cardiovascular function, and short-epoch analysis of the spontaneous EEG (electroencephalogram). Driver arousal during open-highway driving serves as the example. Steady decline in heart rate (HR) has been observed during extended driving periods, and has been interpreted as a manifestation of declining driver arousal. An experiment was conducted in which impedance cardiographic measurements were obtained on a male subject during a three-hour drive. Of interest was a hemodynamic pattern that occurred during periods of greatest driver attentiveness: the first 20 minutes of the trip and again during the first 30 minutes of the return trip. This pattern was characterized by HR and HR30 (30-sec. period) values at or below the three-hour average and stroke volume values one to two standard deviation units above the average. Cerebrocortical electrical activity patterns similar to those at sleep onset have been reported for drivers whose performance deteriorates with time. An automated EEG scanning approach could be devised to provide short-epoch (ten to 20 sec.) analysis for excessive theta activity, a characteristic of drowsiness. Such a device could be used to identify road variables and highway information systems that reduce drowsiness.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Published in HS-031 115, "Human Factors: Science for Working and Living. Human Factors Society Annual Meeting (24th) Proceedings," Santa Monica, California, 1980, pp 608-10. Meeting held in Los Angeles, October 1980.
• Corporate Authors:

  Human Factors Research, Incorporated

  6780 Cortona Drive
  Goleta, CA  United States  93017
• Authors:
  • Miller, J C
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 3 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Attention value; Cardiovascular system; Driver performance; Drivers; Driving; Drowsiness; Electroencephalography; Heart; Personnel performance; Physiological aspects; Sleep; Vigilance
• Old TRIS Terms: Electroencephalographs
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00369665
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-031 124
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Jan 31 1983 12:00AM