Analysis of Heart Rate Variability During Emergency Flight Simulator Missions in Fighter Pilots

NCT ID: NCT04487899

Last Updated: 2022-09-16

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Total Enrollment

18 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2019-10-01

Study Completion Date

2020-03-10

Brief Summary

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The autonomous response of fighter and attack pilots who attend sessions in a flight simulator will be evaluated by measuring and analyzing heart rate variability (HRV).

Detailed Description

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The autonomous response of fighter and attack pilots during emergency situations in a flight simulator will be assessed by measuring and analysing heart rate variability (HRV). Eighteen pilots with instructor or student status assigned at the time of the evaluation to the ALA 23 district of the Talavera la Real Air Base of the Ministry of Defence of the Spanish Government (Badajoz) were studied during emergency situations in flight simulator. Subjects were assigned by non-probabilistic randomisation to an instructor group (IG; 7 subjects), and to a student group (AG; 11 subjects).

The recording of the parameters indicated corresponds to the emergency situations described above. Data collection was made in three different moments:

1. Take-off: it starts after reading the checklist until the engine fault is resolved.
2. Flight: during manoeuvres characterised by the recovery of abnormal positions.
3. Landing: where the pilot performs the landing manoeuvre, with the loss of spatial situation.

Conditions

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Heart Rate Variability Autonomic Nervous System

Study Design

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Observational Model Type

CASE_ONLY

Study Time Perspective

CROSS_SECTIONAL

Study Groups

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Instructors group

Group of flight instructors at the reactor school.

Analysis of heart rate variability

Intervention Type DEVICE

The HR HRV interval of the heartbeat (variations in the time interval between beats) was used as a measure of autonomous modulation, and the Firstbeat Bodyguard monitor (Firstbeat Technologies, Jyväskylä, Finland) was used to record HRV data during the session with emergency situations in the flight simulator. Data was downloaded from the devices to a computer using Firstbeat Uploader software (Firstbeat Technologies), and all R-R interval series were imported into the Kubios software package (University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland). To calculate the autonomous equilibrium, the commonly used HRV method based on the Poincaré graph was used (Brennan et al., 2001; Mourot et al., 2004).

Students group

Group of students at the reactor school.

Analysis of heart rate variability

Intervention Type DEVICE

The HR HRV interval of the heartbeat (variations in the time interval between beats) was used as a measure of autonomous modulation, and the Firstbeat Bodyguard monitor (Firstbeat Technologies, Jyväskylä, Finland) was used to record HRV data during the session with emergency situations in the flight simulator. Data was downloaded from the devices to a computer using Firstbeat Uploader software (Firstbeat Technologies), and all R-R interval series were imported into the Kubios software package (University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland). To calculate the autonomous equilibrium, the commonly used HRV method based on the Poincaré graph was used (Brennan et al., 2001; Mourot et al., 2004).

Interventions

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Analysis of heart rate variability

The HR HRV interval of the heartbeat (variations in the time interval between beats) was used as a measure of autonomous modulation, and the Firstbeat Bodyguard monitor (Firstbeat Technologies, Jyväskylä, Finland) was used to record HRV data during the session with emergency situations in the flight simulator. Data was downloaded from the devices to a computer using Firstbeat Uploader software (Firstbeat Technologies), and all R-R interval series were imported into the Kubios software package (University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland). To calculate the autonomous equilibrium, the commonly used HRV method based on the Poincaré graph was used (Brennan et al., 2001; Mourot et al., 2004).

Intervention Type DEVICE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Pilots who had the status of instructor or student assigned at the time of assessment to the ALA 23 district of the Talavera la Real Air Base of the Ministry of Defense of the Government of Spain (Badajoz).

Exclusion Criteria

* Any uncontrolled neurological or cardiac disorder.
* Being involved in ongoing medical-legal conflicts.
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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Universidad de Extremadura

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Carlos Fernández-Morales

Principal Investigator

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Luis Espejo-Antúnez, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Universidad de Extremadura

Locations

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Universidad de Extremadura

Badajoz, , Spain

Site Status

Countries

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Spain

References

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de la Cruz Torres B, Albornoz Cabello M, Garcia Bermejo P, Naranjo Orellana J. Autonomic responses to ultrasound-guided percutaneous needle electrolysis of the patellar tendon in healthy male footballers. Acupunct Med. 2016 Aug;34(4):275-9. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2015-010993. Epub 2016 Jan 20.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 26792776 (View on PubMed)

Kitagawa Y, Kimura K, Yoshida S. Spectral analysis of heart rate variability during trigger point acupuncture. Acupunct Med. 2014 Jun;32(3):273-8. doi: 10.1136/acupmed-2013-010440. Epub 2014 Mar 7.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24610637 (View on PubMed)

Mourot L, Bouhaddi M, Perrey S, Rouillon JD, Regnard J. Quantitative Poincare plot analysis of heart rate variability: effect of endurance training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2004 Jan;91(1):79-87. doi: 10.1007/s00421-003-0917-0. Epub 2003 Sep 4.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 12955518 (View on PubMed)

Gil-Rodas F, Pedret C, Ramos-Castro J, Capdevila-Ortís L. Variabilidad de la frecuencia cardíaca: concepto, medidas y relación con aspectos clínicos (I). Arch Med Deporte Rev Fed Esp Med Deporte Confed Iberoam Med Deporte. 2008;(123):41-8.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Malik M. Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use: Task force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society for Pacing and Electrophysiology. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol. 1996;1(2):151-81.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Naranjo Orellana J, de la Cruz Torres B, Sarabia Cachadina E, de Hoyo M, Dominguez Cobo S. Two new indexes for the assessment of autonomic balance in elite soccer players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2015 May;10(4):452-7. doi: 10.1123/ijspp.2014-0235. Epub 2014 Oct 29.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 25364865 (View on PubMed)

Fernandez-Morales C, Espejo-Antunez L, Clemente-Suarez VJ, Tabla-Hinojosa FB, Albornoz-Cabello M. Analysis of heart rate variability during emergency flight simulator missions in fighter pilots. BMJ Mil Health. 2024 Jul 24;170(4):296-302. doi: 10.1136/military-2022-002242.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 36585028 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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02

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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