Validation of Wireless Sensors for Psychophysiological Studies.

Pedro Silva Moreira,Pedro Chaves,Ruben Dias,Pedro R Almeida,Nuno Dias

doi:10.3390/s19224824

Abstract

James One (MindProber Labs) is a wireless psychophysiological device comprising two sensors: one measuring electrodermal activity (EDA), the other photoplethysmography (PPG). This paper reports the validation of James One’s EDA sensor by comparing its signal against a research grade polygraph. Twenty participants were instructed to perform breathing exercises to elicit the modulation of EDA and heart rate, while the physiological signal was captured simultaneously on James One and a Biopac MP36. The resulting EDA and PPG records collected from both systems were comprehensively compared. Results suggest that James One captures EDA signal with a quality comparable to a research grade equipment, this constituting a reliable means of capturing data while minimizing setup time and intrusiveness.

Highlights

Psychophysiology is a branch of science directly associated with anatomy, physiology, and psychological processes
The voltage correspondent to the skin conductance is converted by the analogue-to-digital converter (ADC) that is internally available in the microcontroller unit (MCU)
The time-series from the raw electrodermal activity (EDA) signals are plotted in Figure 2a,b and Figure 3

Summary

Introduction

Psychophysiology is a branch of science directly associated with anatomy, physiology, and psychological processes. It aims to elucidate about the structure and function of interrelated systems in the human body in response to environmental contingencies [1]. Several psychophysiological measures have been used across the state-of-the-art, including central measures (e.g., electroencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging) and peripheral measures, encompassing electrodermal, cardiovascular, respiratory, and facial systems. We focus on the electrodermal and cardiac groups of the peripheral psychophysiological measures. Electrodermal activity (EDA) corresponds to the electrical conductance of the skin, dependent of variations of sweat secreted by the eccrine sweat glands. The EDA signal has two components: the tonic component (the skin conductance level, SCL)

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Conclusion