EEG and HRV markers of sleepiness and loss of control during car driving

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) reflects the balance between sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. Slower HRV rhythms (LF) indicate increased sympathetic and/or lower vagal activity, wakefulness characteristics, while faster HRV rhythms (HF) indicate lower sympathetic and/or increased parasympathetic and vagal activity, sleepy characteristics. In this work we demonstrate that power spectral analysis of drivers´ heart rate can report driving errors caused by sleepiness. Furthermore, variation of Fractal Dimension (FD) can aid significant information for the assessment of the driving situation. ECG and EEG data were collected from sleep-deprived subjects exposed to real field driving conditions. A lower ratio of low frequency to high frequency components (LF/HF), and lower LF values were reported on the occurrence of driving errors.