Análisis de parámetros oculo-visuales como biomarcadores del esfuerzo físico y mental

Abstract

The human eyes are outgrowths of the brain and thus part of the central nervous system (Wilson & O’Donnell, 1988). For this reason, the homeostatic disturbances as consequence of physically or mentally demanding tasks are reflected on different ocular parameters with important implications on the performance of different activities (e.g. sport games, driving), as well as in terms of ocular health (e.g. glaucoma). Due to the fact that the ocular system is tightly linked to the nervous system´s activation state, a small number of indices based on the ocular physiology have been used to detect fatigue in several contexts (e.g. military operations, surgical procedures). This field of research has direct applications in sport performance as well as in the management and prevention of ocular diseases, and also has the potential impact to improve operator`s performance and patient safety in risky situations. Therefore, it is reasonable to explore the effect of physical and/or mental demands on the oculo-visual system, using objective visual indices sensitive to central nervous system alterations. The main objectives of the present Doctoral Thesis were to analyze the effects of physical and/or mental effort on the oculo-visual system, and to examine the utility of different ocular physiological indices as neuroergonomic tools for detecting cognitive and physical load and/or fatigue.