It is very important to prevent train drivers from falling into drowsiness during train operation. Most of drivers have tried various devices to keep up arousal level such as openig the window, standing up, loud speaking during train operation, but they say that nothing was effective. We have considered that we need to study the problem systematically in seeking for any effective method. We already have established the evaluation method for determination of arousal level synthesizing skin potential level and blinking rate, and compared the effects of gum chewing, listening to music, light physical exercise, etc.
This time, we take up the gum chewing as one of the effective devices and prepare a gum with components having both arousal effect and special flavor. To confirm its arousal effect, we compare the effect of this special gum with the gumbase and the marketed gum (BB-gum). A total of 10 subjects, five males and five females, are examined. Three subjects a day are submitted to 30 minutes of gum chewing for evaluation of their arousal levels.
Results indicate that the arousal effect of the special gum remains at the highest level for 30 minutes, but the gumbase drops immediately to the lowest level, and that of the BB-gum yields the same effect as the gumbase in 18 minutes of chewing.
It has been well known that the arousal effect of gum comes from the movement stimulus of chewing muscles, but it can be said from the results of experiment that components having arousal effect and special flavor in the special gum are more effective in maintaining the arousal level than the movement stimulus of chewing muscles.
