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Publication AbstractsPilot Cerebral Oxygen Status During Air-to-Air Combat ManeuveringAsao Kobayashi, Andrew Tong, and Azusa KikukawaAviat Space Environ Med 2002; 73:919-24 AbstractBackground: Successful monitoring of in-flight cerebral oxygen status (COS; cerebral hemoglobin concentration changes and oxygenation changes under dynamic flight conditions) was recently achieved using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). In this study, we examined the effects of air-to-air combat maneuvering on COS. Method: Six F-15 fighter pilots performed 2-vs.-1 air-to-air combat one to three times in each of eight sorties. We took continuous measurements of the pilots' in-flight COS using a commercial NIRS system. We measured the direct effects of G-forces on COS as evidenced by relative concentrations of oxy- and deoxy-hemoglobin. Results: With respect to the G-levels reached during air combat maneuvering (Gz range of -0.4 to + 9.5), oxyhemoglobin concentration (O2Hb) and tissue oxygenation index (TOI, the ratio of oxygenated to total tissue hemoglobin) decreased with increasing G-forces during aerial combat maneuver (ACM). Maximum changes in relative O2Hb ranged from -4.2 to -26 µmol · L-1. Subjects' experience as measured by total fighter time was an independent determinant of the magnitude of decrease in relative oxygenation. Conclusions: 1. Pilots' COS declined with dynamic G-forces experienced under aerial combat conditions. 2. Fighter pilots with more flying hours maintained a higher cerebral oxygen level at the same level of G-forces than pilots with less flying time. 3. NIRS technology in the form of the NIRO-300G has matured for continuous monitoring of in-flight cerebral oxygen status under vigorous field conditions.Keywords: acceleration, cerebral oxygen saturation, near-infrared spectrophotometry, high-performance aircraft. Information on subscribing, and on obtaining copies of an article or of an entire issue. Table of Contents for Volume 73, Number 9 of the ASME journal.
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