DEVELOPMENT OF THE AVIATION STRESS PROTOCOL--SIMULATION AND PERFORMANCE, PHYSIOLOGICAL, AND BIOCHEMICAL MONITORING SYSTEMS

In development of the aviation stress protocol--simulation (ASPS), the following conclusions were reached: (1) In experiments using the ASPS, cardiovascular testing will be conducted in parallel, but separately; (2) The time of exposure to altitude will be limited to 2 h; and (3) Measurements such as visual accommodation, internal body temperature, blood glucose, blood drug or alcohol level, and others will be included in the ASPS only when appropriate. Cardiovascular and pulmonary parameters were assessed under simulated +Gz and exercise conditions in normal males after exposure to the ASPS. Some parameters were displaced to a statistically significant degree, but such displacements are of doubtful physiological significance because of the unavoidable time lapse between altitude exposure and assessment. These preliminary experiments served to demonstrate that meaningful physiological assessments can only be made during exposure to the altitudes specified in the ASPS. Thirty-six controller subjects from previous stress studies were identified who subsequently suffered medical conditions severe enough to require waiver or retirement. These subjects' stress indices were compared with those of subjects who had no known pathology to see if any of the stress indicators were predictive of pathological conditions. The data showed that controllers who developed gastrointestinal pathology had significantly (p . 0.01) higher (c(st) than did their normal counterparts. At Miami ARTCC, c(ne) was significantly elevated (p . 0.05) in the cardiovascular group. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Three reports Relevant to Stress in Aviation Personnel.
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Aviation Administration

  Flight Standards Service, 800 Independence Avenue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20591
• Authors:
  • Higgins, E A
  • Lategola, M T
  • Melton, C E
• Publication Date: 1978-2

Media Info

• Pagination: 36 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air pilots; Air traffic controllers; Altitude; Aviation medicine; Biochemistry; Biophysics; Cardiovascular system; Enroute traffic control; Flight simulators; Monitoring; Physiological aspects; Stress (Physiology); Test chambers
• Uncontrolled Terms: Altitude chambers; Flight simulation
• Old TRIS Terms: Aviation stress protocol simulation
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00175527
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: FAA-AM-78-5
• Files: NTIS, TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jun 14 1978 12:00AM