Temporal dynamics of wakefulness during simulated driving

Abstract The aim of this study is to reveal the oscillatory change and subjective arousal level during simulated driving using synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM). Subjects were instructed to perform the driving simulation task using a steering wheel, accelerator and brake pedals. The subjective arousal level was estimated using a visual analog scale. The subjective arousal level was reduced and the activities of theta band (4–8 Hz) in frontal areas were increased as driving time advanced. It is well known that the theta wave increases during rest state. Our previous studies also demonstrated that pseudo- Z value in the theta band inversely correlates with subjective arousal level. The present study demonstrated that this relation holds true even during driving state.