While the standard test for alertness or sleepiness can be measured by taking into account the speed and degree by which one’s pupil responds to stimuli, researchers have pointed that this isn’t sufficient enough.
In the study conducted by researchers from the Tokyo Institute of Technology and Aichi Medical University on 35 men, and published in the International Journal of Bioinformatics Research and Applications, it was found that what should also be taken into consideration is the blinking rate of the person along with the aforementioned test for alertness or sleepiness.
In explaining why the inclusion of the blinking rate will yield reliable results, Mark A.W Andrews of Seton Hill University, a physiology professor, said “So what about that heavy feeling you get in your eyelids before you finally doze off? That’s a matter of muscle fatigue, kind of like how “your legs would become tired from walking for a whole day.”
Tests like the Stanford Sleepiness Score and the Epworth Sleepiness Scale were carried out on participants that were into divided into two groups where one group was sleepy and the other, wide awake. The study’s findings resulted in the development of a formula that connects pupillary indices, blinking and subjective sleepiness.
As for its applications, it can be used when caring for patients with multiple sclerosis among other conditions and to monitor drivers, machine operators and pilots. This research’s findings could be developed into an early-warning system in order to warn these employees on their level of alertness before sleepiness causes any harm.