Electrophysiological Brain-Cardiac Coupling in Train Drivers during Monotonous Driving

Ty Lees, Taryn Chalmers, David Burton, Eugene Zilberg, Thomas Penzel, Shail Lal and Sara Lal
Additional contact information
Ty Lees: Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, 115 HHD Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
Taryn Chalmers: Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
David Burton: Compumedics Ltd., 30-40 Flockhart Street, Abbotsford, VIC 3067, Australia
Eugene Zilberg: Compumedics Ltd., 30-40 Flockhart Street, Abbotsford, VIC 3067, Australia
Thomas Penzel: Interdisciplinary Sleep Medicine Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
Shail Lal: Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia
Sara Lal: Neuroscience Research Unit, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney, P.O. Box 123, Broadway, NSW 2007, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 7, 1-14

Abstract: Electrophysiological research has previously investigated monotony and the cardiac health of drivers independently; however, few studies have explored the association between the two. As such the present study aimed to examine the impact of monotonous train driving (indicated by electroencephalogram (EEG) activity) on an individual’s cardiac health as measured by heart rate variability (HRV). Sixty-three train drivers participated in the present study, and were required to complete a monotonous train driver simulator task. During this task, a 32 lead EEG and a three-lead electrocardiogram were recorded from each participant. In the present analysis, the low (LF) and high frequency (HF) HRV parameters were associated with delta ( p < 0.05), beta ( p = 0.03) and gamma ( p < 0.001) frequency EEG variables. Further, total HRV was associated with gamma activity, while sympathovagal balance (i.e., LF:HF ratio) was best associated fronto-temporal delta activity ( p = 0.02). HRV and EEG parameters appear to be coupled, with the parameters of the delta and gamma EEG frequency bands potentially being the most important to this coupling. These relationships provide insight into the impact of a monotonous task on the cardiac health of train drivers, and may also be indicative of strategies employed to combat fatigue or engage with the driving task.

Keywords: ECG; EEG; electroencephalography; fatigue; heart rate variability; monotony (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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