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Electroneurophysiologic Diagnosis of Aircraft Pilot Spatial Disorientation
| Title: | Electroneurophysiologic Diagnosis of Aircraft Pilot Spatial Disorientation |
| Author: | Stephens, Michael Scott |
| Description: | Stephens, Michael Scott. Ph.D., Department of Biomedical, Industrial, and Human Factors Engineering, Wright State University, 2003. Electroneurophysiologic Diagnosis of Aircraft Pilot Spatial Disorientation. Background: Spatial disorientation (SD) is a leading cause of aircraft mishap in both the civilian and military sector. Currently SD is being actively investigated by various individuals and groups, and one aspect of these investigations includes developing metrics of pilot SD for the real-time aerospace flight environment. The idea is that if SD could somehow be reliably detected and modeled then perhaps some type of countermeasure or protective action could be initiated. Pilot brainwave activity was evaluated in this study using an electroencephalogram (EEG) in order to determine its potential use for the detection of SD. It was hypothesized that there are discernable EEG changes associated with SD. Methods: Eleven male subjects were subjected to 8 different SD protocols (tspin, coriolis, graveyard spiral, leans, tleans, somatogyral, nystagmus, and black hole approach) using a full-motion flight simulator. Power spectra of the EEG recorded from the subjects during a baseline non-SD control period were compared to power spectra of recordings obtained during simulator induced SD. Results: Statistically significant changes were noted in the mean of the log of the EEG power spectra between baseline and SD conditions for various EEG leads, frequency bands, and SD scenarios. For the coriolis, leans, tleans, somatogyral, and nystagmus scenarios the mean of the log of the EEG power spectra output vector was found not to differ between SD and non-SD. For the black hole approach, graveyard spiral, and tspin scenarios significant Lead-SD interaction effect was encountered. Subsequent lead-by-lead MANOVA revealed significant SD main effect in leads F3 and F4 for the tspin scenario, lead P3 for the graveyard spiral scenario, and lead F3 for the black hole approach scenario. In order to investigate the SD effect at each EEG frequency band, analysis of variance (ANOVA) by bands was conducted for the significant lead-band combinations of the tspin, graveyard spiral, and black hole approach scenarios This analysis revealed significant SD main effect in the F3-lbeta and F3-ubeta lead-band combinations for the black hole approach scenario and the P3-lbeta and P3-ubeta lead-band combinations for the graveyard spiral scenario. Nearly significant SD effect was found by this analysis for the F3-theta and F4-theta lead-band combinations for the tspin scenario. Conclusion: There are significant changes in EEG power spectra during SD. Additional experimentation is required to further clarify these results. |
| Permanent Link: |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1166717682
http://hdl.handle.net/2374.OX/19676 |
| Date: | 2003 |
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