The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of EEG and cognitive functioning assessments to identify hypoxia in naval aviators. Naval aviators were brought slowly to a 6,096 m exposure to induce normobaric hypoxia while completing a cognitive assessment and a simulated flight task. There were significant reductions in cognitive performance at 6,096 m when compared to sea level. There were no significant changes in EEG-recorded brainwave activity during the 6,096 m exposure compared to sea level. There were also no significant decrements in flight performance at 6,096 m. Additional research is needed to better understand the impact of hypoxia on brainwave activity and pilot performance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ComstockJ. R.ArnegardR. J. (1992). The multi-attribute task battery for human operator workload and strategic behavior research. NASA Technical Memorandum No. 104174. Hampton, VA: NASA.
2.
CrowT. J.KelmanG. R. (1971). Effect of mild acute hypoxia on human short-term memory. British Journal of Anaesthesia, 43(6), 548-552.
3.
HewettK. J.CurryI. P.RathE.CollinsS. M. (2009). Subtle cognitive effects of mild hypoxia. Fort Rucker, AL: U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory.
4.
USAARL Technical Report No. 2009-17.
5.
Kay1995CogScreen Aeromedical Edition Professional Manual. Washington DC: CogScreen LLC.
6.
KraaierV.Van HuffelenA. C.WienekeG. H. (1988). Quantitative EEG changes due to hypobaric hypoxia in normal subjects. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 69(4), 303-312.
7.
MalleC.QuinetteP.LaisneyM.BoissinJ.DesgrangesB.EustacheF.PiérardC. (2013). Working memory impairment in pilots exposed to acute hypobaric hypoxia. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 84(8), 773-779.
8.
OzakiH.WatanabeS.SuzukiH. (1995). Topographic EEG changes due to hypobaric hypoxia at simulated high altitude. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology, 94(5), 349-356.
9.
PapadelisC.Kourtidou-PapadeliC.BamidisP. D.MaglaverasN.PappasK. (2007). The effect of hypobaric hypoxia on multichannel EEG signal complexity. Clinical Neurophysiology, 118(1), 31-52.
10.
RiceG. M.MooreJ. L.JerniganC.MooreJ. L.ClemonsE.RifeC.KayG. C. (2005). Cognitive performance at simulated altitudes of 10,000, 12,000, & 15,000 ft. utilizing the CogScreen-Hypoxia Edition (CogScreen-HE). Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 76(3), 231.
11.
RiceG. M.SniderD.DrollingerS.GreilC.BogniF.PhillipsJ.… LinnvilleS. (2019). Dry-EEG manifestations of acute and insidious hypoxia during simulated flight. Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 90(2), 92-100.
12.
SwainC. A.KourtidouC.WilsonG. F. (1999). The effects of hypobaric hypoxia on psychophysiological measures of cognitive functioning and performance. Air Force Research Lab Technical Report, AFRL-HE-WPTR-1999-0152, pp. 1-45.
13.
Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. (2018, February06).
14.
Statement of Read Admiral Sara Joyner Physiological Episode Action Team Lead: Physiological Episodes Within Naval Aviation. Retrieved Jan. 8, 2019, from https://docs.house.gov/meetings/AS/AS25/20180206/106 824/HHRG-115-AS25-Wstate-JoynerS-20180206.pdf
15.
TemmeL. A.StillD. L.AcromiteM. T. (2010). Hypoxia and flight performance of military instructor pilots in a flight simulator. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, 81(7), 654-659.
16.
WyckoffS. N.SherlinL. H.FordN. L.DalkeD. (2015). Validation of a wireless dry electrode system for electroencephalography. Journal of Neuroengineering and Rehabilitation, 12(1), 95.
