Study protocol for evaluating EEG-based predictive model for drowsiness measurement to reduce accident risk in active individuals

Voluntary behaviors and socio-economic factors, such as social jetlag and shift work, can lead to insufficient or disrupted sleep, resulting in drowsiness in active individuals. In occupational and driving contexts, drowsiness poses a serious safety risk by impairing alertness, slowing reaction times, and increasing the likelihood of accidents. Developing predictive, automatic and easy to implement tools for drowsiness detection is essential in high-risk environments where sustained vigilance is critical. This study aims to validate a practical and predictive method for assessing drowsiness using automated analysis of a limited number of electroencephalogram (EEG) channels. Designed as single-center, non-randomized, single-group, this study will evaluate drowsiness and cognitive performance in forty healthy volunteers exposed to two sleep deprivation conditions simulating real-world occupational scenarios. The primary outcome will be the Objective Sleepiness Scale (OSS) and its automated analysis, with a focus on its ability to measure objective wakefulness as assessed by the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT). Secondary outcomes will include multimodal resting-state EEG markers, subjective and objective sleepiness measures, performance on a simulated driving task, attention, executive function and vigilance assessments, as well as sleep quality, sleep quantity, and mind-wandering. The influence of sociodemographic and clinical variables on drowsiness measurement and prediction will also be systematically examined. By validating these novel EEG-based measures, this study aims to lay the groundwork for proactive drowsiness management strategies in occupational, transportation, and clinical settings.