Basic Study of a Ship Navigator's Stress Using Salivary Amylase Activity

Abstract

Evaluation of ship handling mental workload/training has usually depended on professionals (captain, pilot) who have a lot of experience on board. We are attempting to evaluate a ship navigator's mental workload (stress) based on a physiological index. The physiological indices, heart rate variability (R‐R interval) and nasal temperature, are good indices of the stress found in ship handling. It is best if we get response and evaluation results quickly on the spot. A recent study shows salivary amylase activity is induced by the sympathetic nervous system; however, a research on ship navigator has not yet accepted worldwide. This article proposes that salivary amylase activity shows a ship navigator's stress during ship handling. Copyright © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Evaluation of Mental Workload for Athletes' Training Based on Salivary NO3- Concentration

“…And then we confirm the numerical values given by salivary NO 3 -concentration index corresponds to the subject's mental workload fluctuation, compared with various physiological indices, which we have also tried to use to correspond numerical values by these indices to navigators' mental workload fluctuation and as you thought these are sufficient to evaluate the mental workload of ship bridge teammates [3] [4]. In terms of no invasion to a subject, the salivary NO 3 -concentration index is useful, namely this can get a result when subjects always do not need to wear special sensors in measurements. This advantage is important to use physiological indices, because the action itself to impose something to subjects in measurements may become measurement errors.…”

“…This advantage is important to use physiological indices, because the action itself to impose something to subjects in measurements may become measurement errors. Up to this point we introduce effectiveness of the salivary NO 3 -concentration index to mental workload, however needless to say, that weak point also exists in measurements. Salivary NO 3 -is blood-borne, and NO metabolite is released into blood as a vasodilator when a body should vasodilate especially in physical exercise to a greater or lesser degree.…”

“…Up to this point we introduce effectiveness of the salivary NO 3 -concentration index to mental workload, however needless to say, that weak point also exists in measurements. Salivary NO 3 -is blood-borne, and NO metabolite is released into blood as a vasodilator when a body should vasodilate especially in physical exercise to a greater or lesser degree. Namely, physical exercise causes measurement errors.…”

“…So far we have used salivary NO 3 -concentration index, mainly in handling-a-ship simulator experiments to evaluate mental workload quantitatively [1] [2]. And then we confirm the numerical values given by salivary NO 3 -concentration index corresponds to the subject's mental workload fluctuation, compared with various physiological indices, which we have also tried to use to correspond numerical values by these indices to navigators' mental workload fluctuation and as you thought these are sufficient to evaluate the mental workload of ship bridge teammates [3] [4].…”

Evaluation of ship navigator's mental workload for ship handling based on salivary NO<inf>3</inf>&#x2212;

“…Physiological indices, heart rate variability (R-R interval) [1], [2], facial (nasal) temperature [3], and salivary amylase [4], [5] are sufficient to evaluate the mental workload of a ship bridge teammate: a captain, a duty officer, a helmsman, and a pilot. The salivary NO 3 -is crucial to get a result without subjects' putting on special sensors except taking their saliva.…”