title: Hypoxia and Coriolis Illusion in Pilots During Simulated Flight.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pilots' vision and flight performance may be impeded by spatial disorientation and high altitude hypoxia. The Coriolis illusion affects both orientation and vision. However, the combined effect of simultaneous Coriolis illusion and hypoxia on saccadic eye movement has not been evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  A simulated flight was performed by 14 experienced pilots under 3 conditions: once under normal oxygen partial pressure and twice under reduced oxygen partial pressures, reflecting conditions at 5000 m and 6000 m (16,404 and 19,685 ft), respectively. Eye movements were evaluated with a saccadometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At normal oxygen pressure, Coriolis illusion resulted in 55% and 31% increases in mean saccade amplitude and duration, respectively, but a 32% increase in mean saccade frequency was only noted for saccades smaller than the angular distance between cockpit instruments, suggesting an increase in the number of correction saccades. At lower oxygen pressures a pronounced increase in the standard deviation of all measures was noticed; however, the pattern of changes remained unchanged.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simple measures of saccadic movement are not affected by short-term hypoxia, most likely due to compensatory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Military Institute of Aviation Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kowalczuk
authors.forename: Stefan P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Gazdzinski
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janewicz
authors.forename: Marek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gąsik
authors.forename: Rafał
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lewkowicz
authors.forename: Mariusz
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wyleżoł
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003312:Coriolis Force; D005133:Eye Movements / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012438:Saccades / Q000502:physiology; D018561:Space Simulation; D055815:Young Adult