Alertness Testing (“Maintenance Wakefulness Test” or “MWT”)
At times it is essential to objectively verify the ability of a person to stay awake. For example, this might be needed for the assessment of driver safety or other situations where it is essential for a person to be fully alert. This test is made up of a series of sleep laboratory measurements of a person’s ability to stay awake in a standardized setting, administered by our registered sleep technologists.
An MWT is an objective way to monitor a person’s ability to stay awake in a controlled environment. The test consists of 4 sessions during a person’s normal wake period were they are placed in an environment similar to driving at night, alone, on a strait road. Data collected from the sensors on the patient is then used to objectively evaluate alertness in a minimally stimulating environment. In the commercial driving industry this test is commonly ordered at a CDL holder’s renewal, if previous history or current health puts them at risk of dozing behind the wheel.