Suppression of Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex With Increased Mental Workload While Driving

Kono, Takuya; Sato, Yuki; Wada, Takahiro; Tsunemichi, Daichi; Fujiyama, Naoyuki; Ono, Yoshiki · 2023 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1109/access.2023.3326809

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Summary

This study investigates the relationship between increased mental workload (MWL) and the vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) during driving, aiming to develop a simplified, non-invasive indicator for driver cognitive load. While previous research established that VOR modeling errors increase with MWL, this approach required individual model optimization. The authors sought to determine if VOR gain—the ratio of eye angular velocity to head angular velocity—and a specific parameter from the six-degree-of-freedom subjective vertical conflict (6DOF-SVC) model related to self-motion estimation could serve as robust MWL indicators without such complex calibration. The experiment involved twelve male participants driving a vehicle along a 100-meter straight road at a constant speed of 30 km/h. The study employed a within-subjects design with two conditions: baseline driving and driving while performing the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT) to induce high MWL. Eye and head movements were recorded using Tobii Pro Glasses 2, which captured eye orientation, head angular velocity, and head acceleration. Data were processed to isolate the VOR in the pitching direction, filtering for frequencies between 1.6 and 2.5 Hz. The VOR gain was calculated by minimizing the difference between measured and estimated eye velocities. Additionally, the parameter $K_3$ from the 6DOF-SVC model, which reflects the accuracy of self-motion estimation, was identified by minimizing the error between measured and model-predicted VOR. Subjective MWL was assessed using the NASA-Task Load Index (TLX) after each trial. The results demonstrated a significant decrease in VOR gain under high MWL conditions compared to baseline, as determined by a Wilcoxon signed-rank test. This finding indicates that VOR suppression is directly associated with increased cognitive load during driving. Furthermore, the self-motion estimation parameter ($K_3$) also decreased significantly under high MWL. These physiological changes occurred despite the simple driving task, suggesting that cognitive demands actively modulate vestibular processing. The study confirms that VOR gain can be used as an MWL indicator without the need for individualized VOR model optimization, simplifying potential real-world applications. The significance of this work lies in its contribution to understanding the physiological mechanisms linking cognitive load and vestibular function. By identifying VOR suppression and reduced self-motion estimation accuracy as markers of high MWL, the study provides a foundation for developing less invasive, glasses-based monitoring systems for driver safety. Unlike electrode-based methods, this approach offers a more comfortable alternative for real-time assessment. The findings suggest that cognitive distraction alters how the brain processes self-motion, potentially impacting driving performance. Future research will explore how varying intensities of cognitive tasks affect VOR gain and driving outcomes, further validating these metrics for accident prevention technologies.

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Topics

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• workload measurement
• visual occlusion
• passenger motion sickness comfort
• useful field of view
• simulator sickness
• mental demand

Information type

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• Empirical Findings: physiological data
• Methodological Resource: tool software
• Theoretical Contribution: theory or model