Involuntary motor reflex delay while sleepy

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the feasibility of using mild electrical shocks to detect a person's level of attentiveness and sleepiness. The proposed method involves applying a short pulse of current to the skin and measuring the response time of muscle contraction. However, participants argue that this approach is not truly non-invasive, as the induced muscle spasm would likely alter the subject's awareness, thus compromising the accuracy of the measurement. The consensus suggests that more subtle indicators, such as eye behavior, may be more effective for monitoring attentiveness.

PREREQUISITES
  • Basic understanding of electrical engineering principles
  • Knowledge of human physiology, particularly involuntary reflexes
  • Familiarity with non-invasive monitoring techniques
  • Awareness of attentiveness and sleepiness indicators
NEXT STEPS
  • Research non-invasive methods for measuring attentiveness, such as eye-tracking technology
  • Explore physiological indicators of sleepiness and their measurement
  • Investigate the effects of electrical stimulation on muscle response and awareness
  • Learn about the ethical considerations in using electrical shocks for monitoring purposes
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for electrical engineers, neuroscientists, and researchers interested in attentiveness monitoring and non-invasive physiological measurement techniques.

taylaron
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"Involuntary motor reflex" delay while sleepy

Ok, I do confess I got pat of the title from Mel Brook's movie "Young Frankenstein". That said, here is my question.

I'm trying to find an extremely non-invasive way to detect when a person is losing attentiveness, or getting sleepy. FYI, I'm an electrical engineer so I have little knowledge of the mind and body's behavior.

I propose alertness or sleepiness can be detected using an extremely mild electrical shock. One would apply a short pulse of current between two points on the skin (in close proximity) and measuring the time the brain takes to respond to the shock (via muscle contraction). The longer the time between muscle contraction and the shock, the less alert the subject is, and conversely. Would this work?

I've heard that the body will involuntarily respond to sudden stimuli (pain, etc...) before the brain has time to respond. Would the system I propose be largely independent of how the brain responds to the stimuli- given the body's involuntary reactions?


Thanks
-Tay
 
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I don't know if the method you're proposing would be an accurate one-shot measure of someone's attentiveness or not, but it clearly fails the criteria of "extremely non-invasive", don't you think? To fit that criteria I would think you'd have to come up with a test the person was completely unaware of. The induced muscle spasm, itself, would surely alter their level of awareness and prevent ongoing monitoring of the natural state of their attention.
 


Hint: if you want to know if someone is getting sleepy or losing attention, their eyes will probably start to stay closed.

Shooting the juice to someone is pretty 'invasive'.