Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 359)

This bibliography lists 164 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during Jan. 1992. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and physiology, life support systems and man/system technology, protective clothing, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, planetary biology, and flight crew behavior and performance

Influence of Task Combination on EEG Spectrum Modulation for Driver Workload Estimation

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Objective: This study investigates the feasibility of using a method based on electroencephalography (EEG) for deriving a driver’s mental workload index. Background: The psychophysiological signals provide sensitive information for human functional states assessment in both laboratory and real-world settings and for building a new communication channel between driver and vehicle that allows for driver workload monitoring. Methods: An experiment combining a lane-change task and n-back task was conducted. The task load levels were manipulated in two dimensions, driving task load and working memory load, with each containing three task load conditions. Results: The frontal theta activity showed significant increases in the working memory load dimension, but differences were not found with the driving task load dimension. However, significant decreases in parietal alpha activity were found when the task load was increased in both dimensions. Task-related differences were also found. The driving task load contributed more to the changes in alpha power, whereas the working memory load contributed more to the changes in theta power. Additionally, these two task load dimensions caused significant interactive effects on both theta and alpha power. Conclusion: These results indicate that EEG technology can provide sensitive information for driver workload detection even if the sensitivities of different EEG parameters tend to be task dependent. Application: One potential future application of this study is to establish a general driver workload estimator that uses EEG signals

Aerospace Medicine and Biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 192

This bibliography lists 247 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in March 1979

Impact of Cognitive Workload on Physiological Arousal and Performance in Younger and Older Drivers

Two groups, aged 25-35 and 60-69, engaged in 3 levels of a delayed auditory recall task while driving a simulated highway. Heart rate and skin conductance increased with each level of demand, demonstrating that these indices can correctly rank order cognitive workload. Effects were also observed on speed and SD of lane position, but they were subtle, nonlinear, and did not effectively differentiate. Patterns were quite consistent across age groups. These findings on the sensitivity of physiological measures replicate those from an onroad study using a similar protocol. Together, the results support the validity of using these physiological measures of workload in a simulated environment to model differences likely to be present under actual driving conditions

A Comparison of Heart Rate and Heart Rate Variability Indices in Distinguishing Single-Task Driving and Driving Under Secondary Cognitive Workload

Heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) measures collected under actual highway driving from 25 young adults were compared to assess the relative sensitivity of each for distinguishing between a period of single task driving and periods of low and high additional cognitive workload. Basic heart rate, skin conductance and most, but not all, of the HRV indices were significantly different between single task driving and the high secondary demand period. Heart rate and skin conductance were also robust at distinguishing between single task driving and the low added demand period; however, several HRV measures did not show statistically significant differences between these two periods and the remaining HRV measures that did were less robust than basic heart rate as assessed by effect size and observed power. Rather than attempting to argue for the inherent superiority of any one physiological measure, these findings are presented with the intent of encouraging a broader discussion around the conditions under which particular physiological measures may be most useful and/or complementary for detecting different aspects of workload and operator state

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 317)

This bibliography lists 182 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in November, 1988