The Aeromedical Factors Branch (AFB) mission is to support the Warfighter by conducting cutting edge research to attenuate and mitigate operational stressors.  The research mission focuses on areas including crew/operator endurance and sustainment (aviation and ground vehicles), operator workload, collective team performance, situational awareness, motion sickness prevention, return-to-duty assessments, and advanced medical diagnostic tools.  The AFB objectively and subjectively evaluates strategies to ameliorate the performance decrements and safety issues associated with fatigue and motion sickness through pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic intervention.  Ongoing research in emerging tactile technologies and visual displays pursues solutions for spatial disorientation and loss of situational awareness experienced during helicopter flight operations in areas of limited visibility/contrast (e.g., “brownout” landings, hovering over desert/water).  In addition, new medical devices designed for use in high noise environments and novel equipment designed to aid the rehabilitation of wounded Soldiers are developed, tested, and evaluated for their clinical efficacy and applications.  Collaborations include research laboratories within the U.S. Army, other U.S. government agencies, national and international agencies, and civilian universities.

The Effects of Sub-threshold Visual Cues on Flight Performance in the NUH-60FS Black Hawk Research Simulator

Objective
To determine the applicability and effectiveness of ultra-short sub-threshold stimuli via a digital display to alert a cognitively and visually loaded aviator of changing mission requirements.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Data analysis

Team Performance Metrics and their Appropriateness for the U.S. Army: ASystematic Review

Objective
To conduct a systematic review of team performance metrics to identify those suitable for the Army’s team performance research needs.

Recruitment
N/A

Phase of Study
Review complete; Final report in preparation

The Effects of Spatial Disorientation on Working Memory and Mathematical Processing

Objective
isTo examine the effects of spatial disorientation on aviators’ cognitive processing in real time.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Final report and publications

A Workload Assessment of Aviation Maneuvers

Objective
To explore a new subjective measure of workload in an effort to move towards an operational definition of the construct.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of study
Complete

Objective
To determine the side effect profile and degree to which low doses of modafinil and dextroamphetamine sustain alertness, performance, cognition, vigilance, judgment, mood, and decision-making throughout 40 hours of continuous wakefulness.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Final report and publications

Objective
To evaluate what aeromedical effects could impair the performance of airborne UAS controllers when UAS are teamed with manned helicopters.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Complete

Objective
To compare the Soldier’s ability to perform warrior tasks (representative of Soldier skills) following administration of ketamine and morphine to evaluate potential utility of low-dose ketamine as a battlefield analgesic.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Final report available in DTIC

Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of 8-hertz (Hz) stroboscopic environments in reducing visually-induced motion sickness (retinal slip) during military transport.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Data analysis

Objective
To evaluate the Noise Immune Stethoscope (NIS), a dual-mode electronic and Doppler device, with patients with cardiopulmonary pathology in real-world operational environments including a medical center and a U.S. Navy carrier.

Recruitment
Ongoing

Phase of Study
Data collection

Objective
To examine if visual cues presented at sub-threshold levels can prime pilots to check for new flight information without distraction or deterioration from performance.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Final report and publications

Objective
To assess the impact of low to moderate levels of hypoxia on the performance of aircrew personnel.

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Final report and publications

Objectives
To carry out an initial exploration of the three different systems for providing tactile sway cueing as a compensatory strategy for patients suffering from disequilibrium due to traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Recruitment
Complete

Phase of Study
Complete

Objectives
To develop capabilities that can provide non-visual, intuitive orientation and targeting information to the warfighter to complement existing situation awareness systems and ensure that awareness of the “big picture” is maintained.

Recruitment
N/A

Phase of Study
Final report and publications

Traumatic Brain Injury Effects on Return-to-Duty for Specific Military Occupational Specialties

Objective
To identify the Military Occupational Specialties (MOSs) most likely to be affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to compare the cognitive and psychomotor abilities required by those MOSs to the abilities disrupted by TBI.

Recruitment
N/A

Phase of Study
In preparation

Development of a Fitness-for-Duty Assessment Battery for Recovering Dismounted Warriors

Objective
To examine the effects of mTBI on dynamic marksmanship abilities and weapons utilization tasks. To demonstrate if a new weapons utilization assessment battery can supplement return-to-duty assessments and determinations.

Recruitment
Pending approval

Phase of Study
Pending approval

Touch/Tactile Feedback for Rehabilitation of Wounded Warriors

Objective
To convene several select study groups of subject matter experts to assess the state of tactile balance feedback systems ultimately making recommendations concerning next generation devices and protocols.

Recruitment
N/A

Phase of study
Final report and publications

Objective
To focus on the development, optimization, and evaluation of prototype balance measurement and cueing systems for the evaluation and rehabilitation of TBI patients experiencing disequilibrium.

Recruitment
Pending approval

Phase of Study
Pending approval

Objective
To conduct a systematic literature review that evaluates the current ‘state of the science’ regarding acute hypoxic hypoxia at moderate altitudes with focus on cognitive impairment, sensory deficits, and other pertinent performance effects.

Recruitment
N/A

Phase of Study
Data analysis

Efficacy of Directional Tactile Cues from a Tactile Garment for Target Orientation in Helicopter Extractions over Moving Targets

Objective
To assess the efficacy of a tactile cueing system to provide non-verbal, tactile directional cues to the pilot as to the target’s ever-changing position.

Recruitment
Ongoing

Phase of study
Data collection

Objective
To develop an easily-administered test of vestibular function for use by field clinicians to identify otolithic impairment.

Recruitment
Pending approval

Phase of Study
Pending approval

Objective
To determine whether tactile stimuli can convey the approach of significant objects.

Recruitment
Pending approval

Phase of Study
Protocol approval