Neurophysiological Markers of Cognitive Failures in Drivers: An Electroencephalography Study.

INTRODUCTION

Cognitive failures (CFs) during driving significantly contribute to traffic accidents and fatalities. This study aimed to investigate neurophysiological markers of CF in drivers using electroencephalography (EEG).

METHODS

Thirty taxi drivers were classified into high and low CF groups based on CF questionnaire (CFQ) scores. EEG signals were recorded during eyes-closed rest and eyes-open Go/No-Go (GNG) tasks to assess brainwave patterns and lobe-specific activation. Statistical analyses included t-tests, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson's correlations.

RESULTS

Drivers with high CF showed reduced delta, theta, and gamma activity-particularly in the temporal and occipital lobes-suggesting impaired cognitive processing. In contrast, low-failure drivers exhibited increased delta, theta, and alpha power in frontal and occipital regions. Elevated beta activity in the parietal lobe of high-failure drivers may reflect compensatory processing. Gamma power was consistently lower across all brain regions in this group.

CONCLUSION

These results highlight specific EEG frequency bands as potential objective markers for identifying CF in drivers, offering implications for early cognitive assessment and the development of evidence-based safety strategies in driving contexts.