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<p>This thesis investigated the changes in physiological and cognitive performance as F-22 pilots transitioned short term to night-flying weeks using salivary markers of stress, cortisol and alpha amylase, wrist activity monitors, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index (NASA-TLX), and a go/no-go (GNG) developed by Naval Medical Research Unit at Dayton. Seventeen fully qualified F-22 pilots took part in the two-week study. We found no differences in GNG reaction time or accuracy, NASA-TLX scores, or sleep quantity as participants transitioned to night-flying weeks. Sample cortisol levels were significantly higher than civilian levels in all experimental conditions and control days. Researchers fitted a unique participant cortisol curve and found higher-than-predicted participant cortisol levels post-flight in the day-flying condition and lower-than-predicted participant levels post-flight in the night-flying condition. Two negative relationships, F-22 experience by the magnitude of cortisol change (pre- to post-flight) in the day-flying condition and age by Perceived Stress Survey scores, suggested stress adaptation in the F-22 community. We thought that the night-flying environment would be more stressful on the aviator. While more research is required to support the results found in this study, it appeared that day flying is more stressful.
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<br>Subjects: saliva; go/no-go; inhibitory test; NASA-TLX; actigraphy; fatigue; flying; night-flying; F-22; shift work; cortisol; alpha amylase; stress; reaction time; accuracy; PSS; SRRS; PSQI; ESS; MEQ-SA</div>
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Combs, Elizabeth</div>
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