Physiological correlates of heart rate variability (HRV) and the subjective assessment of workload and fatigue in-flight crew: a practical study

摘要

This study reviews the application of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and its use as an effective somatic indicator of workload and fatigue in flight crew. 'Stress', fatigue and performance have historically featured as important physiological variables within aviation medicine. Indeed, studies attempting to measure such can be traced back to the first world war when the German Army Air Force established a medical section, part of whose function was to determine a pilot's ability to '....withstand fatigue, timidity, orientation and discrimination'. Such research is equally valid today as flight crew continue to be required to undertake a wide variety of tasks as part of their operational responsibilities. Indeed, the nature of flying requires that critical pilot functions continue to be focused on the beginning and end points of each flight. This is often in marked contrast to the preceding hours where the primary function is 'monitoring', requiring vigilance levels to be kept at an optimum.