Determining Which Regions of the Brain Are Active During Flight Simulation at Separate Timepoints During Training

Launched by THE GENEVA FOUNDATION · Sep 19, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how different parts of the brain work when military pilots perform flight simulations. The goal is to see which brain areas are active during specific tasks that require precise control, like flying a plane. Participants will undergo a special brain scan called functional MRI (fMRI) while they take part in these simulations at two different times during their training. This will help researchers understand how brain activity changes as pilots learn and improve their skills.

To be eligible for this study, participants must be active-duty military pilots, either training to be instructor pilots or operating remote-controlled aircraft, and they should be between 18 and 54 years old. Some conditions might exclude someone from participating, such as a history of significant head injuries, certain neurological diseases, or if they are pregnant. Those who join the study can expect to spend time in an MRI machine while doing flight tasks, which will help researchers gather important information about brain function related to flying.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Active Duty Military Pilots (Instructor Pilot Trainees or Remote Piloted Aircraft Trainees)
• • Age 18-54 years
• • Biological male or female
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Age \< 18 years
• • Age \> 60 years
• • Non-active-duty members
• • History of recurrent migraine headaches requiring chronic suppressive medication or prescription drug intervention more frequently than once per year.
• • History of head trauma or traumatic brain injury with any loss of consciousness or with confusion or amnesia of greater than five minutes.
• • History of eye trauma related to a metallic object unless the presence of residual metal has been previously excluded by x-ray.
• • Pregnancy
• • History of significant neurological disease including cerebrovascular disease, demyelinating disease, or infections of the central nervous system (encephalitis, meningitis).
• • History of medical conditions with potential neurological involvement such as obstructive sleep apnea, autoimmune disorders, etc.
• • History of seizures since age six.
• • Claustrophobia or intolerance of the MRI without medication.
• • Any medical contraindication to MRI (ex: foreign bodies, non-MRI compatible pacemaker, metal devices).