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PREDICTIVE STUDIES VIII (PS VIII): CO2 and Adaptation to Acute Hypoxia
Major Category: CO2 and adaptation to acute hypoxia (PS VIII)
Subcategory 1: Mental performance in acute hypoxia breathing hypoxic gas mixtures without CO2 (preliminary trials)

Date: November 1992

Expt. Title: Preliminary Series 1: Preliminary trials. Methods development. Effects of 12% inspired O2 at 1 ATA on four tests of mental performance, in 3 Subjects at rest and in 6 Subjects during 50 and 100 watts exercise on a bicycle ergometer. (Expt. 14.11)

Description:

This was an initial experiment series (preliminary series 1) for procedures development, to identify tests of mental performance from IFEM Performance Measurement System battery of tests which might be sensitive to hypoxia induced by breathing 12% O2 at-rest. Additional effects of exercise (50 and 100 watts) on a bicycle ergometer were also investigated. In a rest sequence. In one sequence, 6 Subjects at rest breathed air for 10 minutes, followed by 20 minutes of 12% O2. This was followed by 12 minutes of 50 watt exercise, followed by 12 minutes at 100 watts, while still breathing 12% O2, followed by 15 minutes of breathing air.

Measurements:
Physiological:

Arterial O2 saturation and heart rate in all Subjects. Instrumentation for full battery of physiological measurements introduced during second sequence of measurements for 3 of the Subjects: (ventilation, end-tidal PCO2 and PO2).

Mental Performance: Using IFEM Performance Measurement System (PMS)

Time reproduction Test of Time Estimation (PMS Test D-1)
Choice Reaction Time Test of Response Orientation (PMS Test H-1)
Visual Digit Span Test of Span Memory (PMS Test I-1)
Operations Test of Numerical (Reasoning) Ability (PMS Test K-1)

07 February 2000 11:40:17 AM