# EEG-Based Measurement for Detecting Distraction in Coal Mine Workers
## 5 Discussion
### Feature Implications  
The interpretable nature of the RF algorithm highlights the significance of EEG features. The feature importance ranking shows that the EEG characteristics most correlated with attentional states predominantly cluster in the temporal (TP7, T8) and frontal (FP1, FPZ) regions. The temporal region, crucial for auditory processing and sound integration, may exhibit increased EEG activity due to noise, potentially obscuring task-related neural dynamics [40]. Environmental noise, as a non-targeted auditory input, stimulates EEG activity in the temporal area, diverting attentional resources and impacting task engagement [41]. In this study, the distracted group showed a significant increase in alpha band power in the temporal region (TP7) compared to the focused group, consistent with previous findings [27]. Research has shown that alpha band oscillations may inhibit neural activities  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*  
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}{**Subject**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Trial**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**All Features as Inputs**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Selected Features as Inputs**} \\ \cline{3-10}  & & & **Accuracy** & **Precision** & **Recall** & **F1** & **Accuracy** & **Precision** & **Recall** & **F1** \\ \hline  
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unrelated to the current task, improving task-relevant information processing [42]. This suggests the brain enhances noise suppression in the temporal region during distraction to reduce task interference. Additionally, the focused group exhibited a larger P300 amplitude in the temporal region, indicating more cognitive resources allocated to the task and greater attention to task-related stimuli. Since P300 amplitude reflects the amount of attention paid to stimuli, it is commonly used to measure cognitive resource allocation [28]. These findings underscore the critical role of EEG indicators in the temporal lobe for distinguishing attention states. The prefrontal cortex, particularly the anterior segment, is associated with advanced cognitive functions, decision-making, and attentional control, including the suppression of irrelevant stimuli and the maintenance of task-relevant information [43]. Notably, in the focused group, significant enhancements in theta band activity were observed over prefrontal regions (FP1, FPZ). This is consistent with the findings of [PERSON] et al. [44], who state that this increase in theta band power indicates an amplification of neural processes underlying attentional control, highlighting the critical role of prefrontal theta oscillations in modulating attention. Our analysis revealed a significant increase in beta power in the occipital (O1, PO7) and parietal (C3, C4) regions in the distracted group, consistent with the findings of [PERSON] et al. [45]. Studies have shown that as mental activity decreases, the brain attempts to maintain alertness, increasing beta power in these regions. Additionally, power ratio features in the parietal and occipital lobes, such as the theta/beta ratio, are closely related to attention [33; 46]. The theta/beta ratio serves as a biomarker for attention control and is negatively correlated with distraction [47; 48]. Our findings support this, as the focused group exhibited a higher theta/beta ratio in the occipital region (PO3) compared to the distracted group. Compared to research on distraction in other industries, the EEG features identified in this study reveal distinct characteristics specific to coal miners. Unlike construction workers, coal miners perform cognitively demanding, yet monotonous, tasks requiring sustained attention. This difference may explain the prominence of P300 amplitudes in temporal regions and the increased reliance on prefrontal theta oscillations in coal miners, which are less evident in construction workers [25].