A Pilot Study for Real-Time Hunger Detection Based on EEG Signals and Visual ERPs

Abstract

Emotions and basic needs such as fear, pain, hunger, or thirst could go unnoticed in some people due to mental or physical conditions. Yet, some of them can deeply affect well-being. When left unrecognized, these hidden states can disrupt daily life and lead to serious consequences. The detection of human needs is undergoing rigorous investigation, with applications that span the improvement of individual well-being or commercial enterprise. Electroencephalography is one of the most widely used tools in this field. In this research work, we invited 13 healthy participants after a night of fasting to investigate in real time the effects of watching a video of food images on their brain electrical activities using the EmotivPRO platform. The results show an increase in the level of attention in all participants when seeing food images; for some participants, the level of stress has also increased during this stage. This research is our first step in investigating the human brain reaction to initial needs such as thirst and hunger during event-related potential.