Dry-EEG Manifestations of Acute and Insidious Hypoxia During Simulated Flight.

Recently, portable dry electroencephalographs (dry-EEGs) have indexed cognitive workload, fatigue, and drowsiness in operational environments. Using this technology this project assessed whether significant changes in brainwave frequency power occurred in response to hypoxic exposures as experienced in military aviation. There were 60 (30 women, 30 men) student Naval Aviators or Flight Officers who were exposed to an intense (acute) high-altitude (25,000 ft) normobaric hypoxic exposure, and 20 min later, more gradual (insidious) normobaric hypoxic exposure up to 20,000 ft while flying a fixed-wing flight simulation and monitored with a dry-EEG system. Using MATLAB, EEG frequencies and power were quantified and analyzed. Cognitive performance was also assessed with a cognitive task validated under hypoxia. Normobaric hypoxia and O₂ saturation (Sp₂) were produced and monitored using the Reduced Oxygen Breathing Device (ROBD2). Significant Sp₂ decreases were recorded at acute 25K and insidious 20K simulated altitudes. Significant power decreases were recorded in all frequencies (alpha, beta, gamma, and theta) and all channels with acute 25K exposures. Gamma, beta, and theta frequency power were significantly decreased with insidious 20K exposures at most of the channels. The frequency power decreases corresponded to significant decreases in cognitive performance and flight performance. Most importantly, frequency power suppressions occurred despite 42% of the volunteers not perceiving they were hypoxic in the acute phase, nor 20% in the insidious phase. Results suggest EEG suppression during acute/insidious hypoxia can index performance decrements. These findings have promising implications in the development of biosensors that mitigate potential in-flight hypoxic physiological episodes.