Monitoring nap deprivation-induced fatigue using fNIRS and deep learning

Fatigue-induced incidents in transportation, aerospace, military, and other areas have been on the rise, posing a threat to human life and safety. The determination of fatigue states holds significant importance, especially through reliable and conveniently available physiological indicators. Here, a portable custom-built fNIRS system was used to monitor the fatigue state caused by nap deprivation. fNIRS signals in ten channels at the prefrontal cortex were collected, changes in blood oxygen concentration were analyzed, followed by a deep learning model to classify fatigue states. For the high-dimensionality and multi-channel characteristics of the fNIRS signal data, a novel 1D revised CNN-ResNet network was proposed based on the double-layer channel attenuation residual block. The results showed a 97.78% accuracy in fatigue state classification, significantly superior than several conventional methods. Furthermore, a fatigue-arousal experiment was designed to explore the feasibility of forced arousal of fatigued subjects through exercise stimulation. The fNIRS results showed a significant increase in brain activity with the conduction of exercise. The proposed method serves as a reliable tool for the evaluation of fatigue states, potentially reducing fatigue-induced harms and risks.