Electroencephalographic and peripheral temperature dynamics during a prolonged psychomotor vigilance task.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• Attention lapses and fatigue significantly impair performance and increase accident risk.
• Objective physiological markers are needed to quantify vigilance and fatigue.
• The Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) is a standard tool for assessing sustained attention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate electroencephalographic (EEG) dynamics and skin temperature as physiological markers of attentional fluctuations.
• To correlate these physiological measures with performance on the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) in non-sleep deprived individuals.

Main Methods:

• Subjects performed a 45-minute PVT while EEG and body skin temperature were recorded.
• EEG data were analyzed using Independent Component Analysis and time-frequency analysis.
• Skin temperature gradients, specifically the distal-to-proximal gradient (DPG), were calculated.

Main Results:

• Increased reaction time (RT) was positively associated with higher distal and DPG temperatures.
• Elevated EEG power in alpha, theta, and beta bands across multiple brain regions correlated with slower RT.
• These EEG changes suggest increased default mode network activity, linked to attention lapses.

Conclusions:

• Skin temperature and specific EEG power band changes serve as reliable physiological indicators of vigilance and fatigue.
• The PVT can be utilized to derive individual physiological indices of fatigue.
• These findings have implications for monitoring vigilance in occupational settings to prevent accidents.