NEURAL CORRELATES OF VIGILANCE DECREMENT AND MULTISENSORY AUGMENTATION

Abstract

Development of techniques for vigilance enhancement has varied applications in areas where sustaining attention is of critical importance like security and transportation. Vigilance decrement is defined as the decrease in the individual’s ability to focus at a given task, leading to unsatisfactory performance. Therefore, attention needs to supplemented with appropriate cues and methods that do not distract the individual from the main task but at the same time enhances vigilance. The objective of this thesis is to assess the efficacy of multisensory integration of visual stimuli with haptic cues in improving performance in monotonous tasks. Neural and behavioural biomarkers show that vigilance has improved upon synchronised and simultaneous presentation of multisensory stimuli. Further investigation of temporal neural features showed that the decrease in performance is predominantly dependent on the prolonged motor response rather than the delayed detection of sensory input in individuals involved in mundane tasks.