Cognitive performance test for detecting sleepiness-induced impairment

Details

• Personal Author:
  Heitmann A ; Holzbrecher M ; Schnipke D
• Description:
  Introduction: The detection of dangerous impairment levels induced by poor or insufficient sleep can be of benefit in certain situations, such as the screening of workers with safety-critical jobs. The present study was conducted to evaluate a new cognitive performance test as a potential tool for impairment detection. The BLT test (developed by Bowles-Langley Technologies, Inc.) is a brief, simple computerized shape recognition test that requires the user to make a Yes/No decision about whether all items in a given screen are the same. After a series of 50 screens the resulting speed/accuracy-based score is compared to the user's baseline. Methods: Fifteen subjects (aged 25-50 years) participated in a sleep restriction study. They stayed in the lab for two consecutive days and nights and were only allowed to sleep for three hours in the morning before the second test day. On each test day, they completed ten bi-hourly test sessions (starting at 1200). Each test session included several subjective tests (e.g., Visual Analog Scales, Thayer Activation-Deactivation Adjective Checklist, Karolinska Sleepiness Scale), 5-min simple reaction time test (PVT), 25-min driving simulation task, 50-screen four-choice reaction time test, and four shape recognition tests (SRT). Results: The various test-bed measures (subjective tests, PVT, four-choice test and driving task) showed the expected circadian trend with consistently impaired levels at night. SRT scores were significantly lower at night (0200, 0400, 0600) as compared to the two highest-score test sessions of the same test day (paired t-tests). On the group level, the SRT score (standard scoring algorithm 1.0) correlated well with many of the test--bed measures (Spearman R>0.8, separate analysis for each test day). However, on the individual level, correlations were less strong and varied greatly between subjects. Conclusion: The aim of further analysis is to refine the SRT scoring algorithm in order to improve the intra-individual correlations between the score of the shape recognition test and other test-bed measures, and to define impairment thresholds [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aging Circadian Rhythm Laboratories Men Occupational Health Safety Shift Work Schedule Sleep Sleep Initiation And Maintenance Disorders Women
• Keywords:
  Age-groups Analytical-processes Circadian-rhythms Humans Laboratory-testing Psychomotor-function Shift-work Sleep-deprivation Sleep-disorders
• ISSN:
  0161-8105
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1 ; OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  31
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20045319
• Citation:
  Sleep 2008 Jun; 31(Abstract Suppl):A339
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2008
• Performing Organization:
  Bowles-Langley Technology, Inc.
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20060801
• Source Full Name:
  Sleep
• Supplement:
  Abstract Supplement
• End Date:
  20090731
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:157f97bc61a89b88840a7504b499006dea49f52af9e037065cc889b7a4795b8b21908d50b43cb3ab7c107e181f13025133b3440a1a07c670ef1d6bb4216abde7
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/200778/cdc_200778_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 136.69 KB ]