Abstract
This study considers a new method to quantify mental workloads (MWL) by using mathematical models for reflex movement of eye. Several mathematical models of reflex movements have been proposed and experimentally verified by physiologists. In those models, some models of vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) have sufficient accuracy to predict eye movements of individuals. The engagement of brain function to VOR is known in the learning process or in the adaptation process. This leads to the assumption that metal workloads appears in the change of characteristics of VOR. So as to confirm the assumption, we have designed an experimental setup and carried out several experiments. In the experiments, subject’s VOR responses have be accurately predicted by the mathematical model which is a dynamical model with the input of head movements and the output of eye movements. The model dynamics have changed while the subject was engaging in a higher cognitive activity. The coherence between the predicted VOR from the identified model of the particular subject and the observed VOR was as high as 0.92 when there was no additional mental demands. However, the changing MWL over five different n-back tasks revealed the clear correlation between the predicted VOR coherences and the MWL demands. This shows that MWL can be objectively quantified by measuring the error between observed VOR responses and the predicted VOR ones from the identified model.
Chapter PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Keywords
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
References
Stanton, N.A., Salmon, P.M., Walker, G.H., Baber, C., Jenkins, D.P.: Human Factors Methods – A Practical Guide for Engineering and Design. Ashgate, Burlington (2005)
Furman, J.M., Müller, M.L.T.M., Redfern, M.S.: Visual-vestibular stimulation interferes with information processing in young and older humans. Experimental Brain Research 152, 383–392 (2003)
Shibata, N., Obinata, G., Kodera, H., Hamada, H.: Evaluating the influence of distractions to drivers based on eye movement model. In: FISTA World Automotive Congress 2006, F2006D164 (2006)
Merfeld, D.M., Zupan, L.H.: Neural processing of gravitoinertial cues in humans. III. Modeling tilt and translation responses. Journal of neurophysiology 87, 819–833 (2002)
Robinson, D.A.: The use of control system analysis in the neurophysiology of eye movements. Annual review of neuroscience 4, 463–503 (1981)
Braver, T.S., et al.: A parametric study of prefrontal cortex involvement in human working memory. Neuroimage 5, 49–62 (1997)
Cohen, J.D., et al.: Activation of prefrontal cortex in a non-spatial working memory task with functional MRI. Human Brain Mapping 1, 293–304 (1994)
Yardley, L., Gardner, M., Lavie, N., Gresty, M.: Attention demand of perception of passive self-motion in darkness. Neuropsychologia 37, 1293–1301 (1999)
Talkwski, M.E., Redfern, M.S., Jennings, J.R., Furman, J.M.: Cognitive requirements for vestibular and ocular motor processing in healthy adults and patients with unilateral vestibular lesions. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 17(9), 1432–1441 (2005)
Schweigart, G., et al.: Eye movements during combinated pursuit, optokinetic and vestibular stimulation in macaque monkey. Experimental Brain Research 127, 54–66 (1999)
Obinata, G., Usui, T., Shibata, N.: On-line method for evaluating driver distraction of memory-decision workload based on dynamics of vestibulo-ocular reflex. Review of Automotive Engineering 29, 627–632 (2008)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Obinata, G., Tokuda, S., Fukuda, K., Hamada, H. (2009). Quantitative Evaluation of Mental Workload by Using Model of Involuntary Eye Movement. In: Harris, D. (eds) Engineering Psychology and Cognitive Ergonomics. EPCE 2009. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 5639. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02728-4_24
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02728-4_24
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-02727-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-02728-4
eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)