Many previous studies have found that an increase in phasic or tonic alertness impairs cognitive control, even though overall response times are decreased. This counterintuitive pattern of behavior is still poorly understood. Using a computational model, we show that the behavioral pattern follows directly from two simple and well-supported assumptions: increased alertness reduces the time need...

An objective approach for detecting the presence of drowsiness and fatigue on the flight deck was demonstrated in a full-mission simulation. Long, uneventful flights in modern aircraft are characterized by extensive monitoring due to high levels of aircraft system automation, physical inactivity, a requirement to remain vigilant for low-frequency occurrences, dim light levels, steady background...

Excessive daytime sleepiness is the most common symptom in OSAS. Administering CPAP improves breathing during sleep. We evaluated the time course of the recovery of alertness following CPAP therapy in OSAS patients. Thirty-nine patients with OSAS were treated with CPAP and evaluated after one, 14, or 42 nights of treatment, 13 patients being randomly assigned to each group. All received a diagn...

This paper investigates whether an individual’s tendency to maximize when making decisions influences their entrepreneurial intentions, innovation behavior, alertness, and opportunity evaluation. It is predicted that maximizers will have greater intentions. Underlying this process, it report behavior alertness. Using data from a survey of 253 working professionals in the U.S., hypotheses are te...

During extended deployments there are a number of strategies available to increase alertness. The initial approach is to optimise work rest patterns and the tool being developed at QinetiQ will make this process simpler for commanders. The judicious use of naps is the second approach recommended. The choice of nap duration should take into account the problem of sleep inertia and allow sufficie...