Feasibility of Early Assessment for Psychological Distress: HRV-Based Evaluation Using IR-UWB Radar

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Psychophysiology
• Cardiology

Background:

• Mental distress disrupts autonomic nervous system activity, impacting cardiac electrical stability.
• Heart rate variability (HRV) is a key indicator of this imbalance.
• Electrocardiography (ECG) is the traditional method for HRV measurement, but impulse radio ultra-wideband (IR-UWB) radar shows promise for non-contact HRV assessment, particularly in psychological contexts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate early high levels of mental distress using HRV indices derived from IR-UWB radar.
• To assess the efficacy of modified radar signal processing for reducing noise and enhancing positional accuracy in HRV measurement.
• To compare radar-based HRV measurements with traditional ECG methods in a population experiencing varying levels of mental distress.

Main Methods:

• 120 evaluations were conducted on 15 office workers using both IR-UWB radar and ECG.
• Participants completed a 5-minute assessment, with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores used to quantify mental distress.
• A high-mental distress group (VAS ≥ 7.5) and a control group were established for comparative analysis.

Main Results:

• Individuals in the high-mental distress group exhibited significantly lower HRV compared to the control group.
• Radar-derived HRV indices demonstrated strong correlations with ECG-based measurements.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis confirmed the radar-based method's significant ability to differentiate high mental distress.

Conclusions:

• IR-UWB radar, with tailored signal processing, can accurately measure HRV and detect high levels of mental distress.
• Radar-based HRV assessment offers a non-invasive, complementary tool for clinicians to gain diagnostic insights into psychological stress.
• This technology holds potential for broader application in psychological studies and stress monitoring.