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Neurophysiological Markers of Cognitive Failures in Drivers: An Electroencephalography Study
Zahra Sharifi1, Amir Pour Mohammadi2,3, Seyed Ruhollah Hosseini4
1Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Introduction:
Cognitive failures (CFs) during driving significantly contribute to traffic accidents and fatalities. This study aimed to investigate neurophysiological markers of CF in drivers using electroencephalography (EEG).
Methods:
Thirty taxi drivers were classified into high and low CF groups based on CF questionnaire (CFQ) scores. EEG signals were recorded during eyes-closed rest and eyes-open Go/No-Go (GNG) tasks to assess brainwave patterns and lobe-specific activation. Statistical analyses included t-tests, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's correlations.
Results:
Drivers with high CF showed reduced delta, theta, and gamma activity-particularly in the temporal and occipital lobes-suggesting impaired cognitive processing. In contrast, low-failure drivers exhibited increased delta, theta, and alpha power in frontal and occipital regions. Elevated beta activity in the parietal lobe of high-failure drivers may reflect compensatory processing. Gamma power was consistently lower across all brain regions in this group.
Conclusion:
These results highlight specific EEG frequency bands as potential objective markers for identifying CF in drivers, offering implications for early cognitive assessment and the development of evidence-based safety strategies in driving contexts.
