"Analysis of dynamic changes in cognitive workload during cardiac surgery perfusionists interactions with the cardiopulmonary bypass pump"

"OBJECTIVE: This novel preliminary study sought to capture dynamic changes in heart rate variability (HRV) as a proxy for cognitive workload among perfusionists while operating the cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) pump during real-life cardiac surgery. BACKGROUND: Estimations of operators cognitive workload states in naturalistic settings have been derived using noninvasive psychophysiological measures. Effective CPB pump operation by perfusionists is critical in maintaining the patient s homeostasis during open-heart surgery. Investigation into dynamic cognitive workload fluctuations, and their relationship with performance, is lacking in the literature. METHOD: HRV and self-reported cognitive workload were collected