Effects of the chemical-defense antidote atropine sulfate on helicopter-pilot performance: A simulator study. Final report

Technical Report · Sat Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1989

OSTI ID:6712936

Simmons, F R; Caldwell, J A; Stephens, R L; Stone, L W; Carter, D J

Atropine is fielded as an antidote for organophosphate poisoning where chemical nerve agents are used. However, inappropriate self-injection may lead to anticholinergic side effects detrimental to aviators in flight. To determine the scope and magnitude of these possible side effects, 12 male Army helicopter pilots in good health flew several missions in a helicopter simulator after being injected (I.M.) with either a placebo or 2mg or 4mg of atropine sulfate. Physiological effects essentially followed the classical model. The 2 mg dose of atropine caused small degradations on some of laboratory-collected measures, but often did not produce effects, which differed significantly from those produced by a placebo dose. A 4mg dose of atropine, however, exerted a variety of statistically significant effects upon flight performance, contrast sensitivity, cognitive performance, tracking accuracy, and cortical evoked responses. The flight performance evaluations (both subjective and objective) showed statistically significant changes in the subject's abilities to fly the simulator. Results obtained from other tasks in the study suggest, further, the decrements in flight performance resulted from a slowing of both information processing and psychomotor performance. Atropine effects were not of sufficient magnitude to preclude further research under actual flight conditions.

• Research Organization: Army Aeromedical Research Lab., Fort Rucker, AL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6712936
• Report Number(s): AD-A-221255/3/XAB; USAARL-89-17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
MILITARY PERSONNEL
PHYSICAL PROTECTION
AVIATION PERSONNEL
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
FLIGHT TESTING
HELICOPTERS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PROGRESS REPORT
RESEARCH PROGRAMS
AIRCRAFT
CHEMISTRY
DOCUMENT TYPES
PERSONNEL
SIMULATION
TESTING
WEAPONS
450000* - Military Technology
Weaponry
& National Defense