Aviation emergency simulation on ground and the effectiveness assessment

Objective To verify the simulation effect by the performance of pedal and reaction tasks in aviation emergency simulation on ground and to evaluate the subjects’ psychological stress response by heart rate variability (HRV). Methods Twenty-seven male subjects participated in the reaction task, the pedal task and the comprehensive tasks. In pedal task, subjects applied force on pedals with the feedback of force indication and the force curves were recorded. Subjects were asked to respond colored lights of reaction task in defined time (1 s) in reaction task. A safe-level current stimulus was applied on subject’s wrist in case of wrong or prolonged response happened. Comprehensive task was the integration of pedal and reaction tasks. ECG signals were recorded at pre-task baselines before the task and in the tasks. The reaction rate, reaction accuracy and the performance of pedal task were all calculated. Results The subjects′ reaction rate in the comprehensive tasks was faster than that in the reaction task (t=5.16, P<0.05), while the accuracy was lower than that in the reaction task (t=1.97, P<0.05). The performance of pedal force in the comprehensive task was the lowest (t=2.43, P<0.05). Subjects′ heart rate was significantly different among the pre-task, pedal task and comprehensive task (F=42.33, P<0.05). HR was the lowest in the pre-task and the highest in comprehensive task. Standard deviation of the NN intervals, root mean square of successive difference of the NN intervals had different distribution in 3 tasks (χ2=25.85, 38.00, P<0.05). The high frequency power, low frequency normalized unit and high frequency normalized unit showed significantly different among tasks (χ2=19.18, 26.96, 24.00, P<0.05). Standard deviation of the NN intervals, root mean square of successive difference of the NN intervals was the highest in pre-task and the lowest in comprehensive task. Conclusions The comprehensive task brings changes on the behavioristics of subjects. The HRV index verifies the raising of subjects′ psychological stress in comprehensive task, and the aviation emergency that simulated on ground would induce subjects′ fear mood to a certain extent. Key words: Heat rate; Stress, psychological; Workload; Evaluation studies