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Reader fatigue - Electroencephalography findings: A case study in students.
Abbas Mohammadi1,2, Leila Nematpour2, Behzad Fouladi Dehaghi1,2
1Environmental Technologies Research Center, Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Ahvaz, Iran.
Work (Reading, Mass.)
|December 20, 2021
Summary
Prolonged reading increases mental fatigue and sleepiness, as indicated by electroencephalography (EEG) and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS). Both measures correlated with performance changes during the study.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Human Factors Engineering
Background:
- Mental fatigue, characterized by weariness and reduced alertness, poses risks including accidents and decreased workplace productivity.
- Assessing mental fatigue is crucial for understanding its impact on performance and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate mental fatigue in students during extended reading sessions using electroencephalography (EEG).
- To correlate EEG-derived brain activity with subjective sleepiness ratings.
Main Methods:
- Ten healthy students underwent a 75-minute experimental protocol involving reading and cognitive tasks.
- Electroencephalography (EEG) recorded brain activity (beta, alpha, theta power), and the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) assessed subjective sleepiness.
- Data were collected across five 15-minute blocks to track changes over time.
Main Results:
- Subjective sleepiness, measured by KSS, significantly increased from 2.3 to 6.1 across the reading blocks.
- EEG analysis revealed a decrease in theta power from 1.23μV²/Hz to 1.02μV²/Hz.
- Alpha band power also decreased from 0.85μV²/Hz to 0.59μV²/Hz during the prolonged reading task.
Conclusions:
- Both KSS and EEG measures effectively indicated increasing sleepiness during prolonged cognitive tasks.
- EEG activity and subjective sleepiness ratings demonstrated a high correlation.
- These findings suggest that EEG and KSS can serve as reliable indicators of mental fatigue and its impact on performance.
