Fatigue Countermeasure Program in Operational Flight Controllers

NCT01744678 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: NNX10AF47G
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 20
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to validate the acceptability, operational feasibility and efficacy of a combined fatigue countermeasure comprised of shorter-wavelength light and exercise during operational Orbit 1 night shifts to improve alertness and performance of flight mission controllers. Specifically, the investigators will:

1. 1.Feasibility. Test the feasibility of developing a break room containing fatigue countermeasures (shorter-wavelength light and exercise equipment) to be used by flight mission controllers during Orbit 1 night shifts, and the feasibility to schedule regular breaks during the Orbit 1 shift so that flight mission controllers have the opportunity to use the fatigue countermeasures break room.
2. 2.Acceptability. Test the acceptability of the use of the fatigue countermeasures break room evaluating when and how the room is used by flight mission controllers, as measured on End-of-Shift Productivity Questionnaire.
3. 3.Test the hypothesis that alertness and performance will be impaired in flight mission controllers during Orbit 1 operational night shifts as compared to flight mission controllers working a non-console day shift.
4. 4.Test the hypothesis that alertness and performance of flight mission controllers who exercise and are exposed to shorter wavelength light during the Orbit 1 night shift will be significantly more alert and have better mood, performance (e.g., less Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) lapses, increased productivity) than those same mission controllers working Orbit 1 night shifts without exposure to the shorter wavelength light and exercise.
5. 5.Test the acceptability, operational feasibility and efficacy of implementing an anonymous sleep disorders screening for flight controllers, evaluated by number of visitors to the screening web site and the number of completed assessments.

Conditions

Fatigue

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Alertness/Fatigue as measured by Psychomotor Vigilance Task and Visual Analog Scales

  Average slowest 10% reaction times by condition (day shift, overnight control, overnight intervention), across time within shifts (pre-shift, first half, second half, post-shift), and across consecutive shifts (shifts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

  Three weeks.

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Sleep duration as measured by wrist actigraphy

  Three weeks.

• Sleep duration as captured in sleep/work logs

  Three weeks.

Study Arms (1)

Access to experimental break room

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects will visit the experimental break room 4 times per Orbit 1 shift: * first, prior to the beginning of the work shift * second, during an operationally feasible 20-min break during the 1st half of the work shift * third, once during an operationally feasible 20-min break during the 2nd half of the work shift * fourth, immediately after the end of the work shift In the break room, subjects will be passively exposed to blue-wavelength enriched ceiling lights during all four visits for each work shift. Also in the break room, subjects will perform 10-minutes of mild exercise during the first three visits to the break room during each work shift.

Behavioral: blue-wavelength enriched ceiling light; Behavioral: mild exercise

Interventions

blue-wavelength enriched ceiling light BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be in the experimental break room for four 20-minute periods for each Orbit 1 work shift.

Also known as: Sylvania Fluorescent Octron FO32/SKYWHITE/XP/ECO 8000K

Access to experimental break room

mild exercise BEHAVIORAL

Subjects will be asked to achieve 65% of maximum heart rate on either a treadmill or exercise cycle for 10-minutes, three times during each Orbit 1 work shift.

Also known as: ICON Health and Fitness Pro2000 Treadmill PFTL13011, ICON Health and Fitness 290SPX Bike PFEX02909

Access to experimental break room

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Must be current Johnson Space Center International Space Station Flight Controller or Flight Director cleared to sit console for Orbit 1 work shift
• Work schedule must meet both study needs and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) scheduling operational constraints

You may not qualify if:

• none

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Brigham and Women's Hospital: lead
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Johnson Space Center

Houston, Texas, 77058, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Fatigue

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Charles A Czeisler, PhD, MD

  Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Laura K Barger, PhD

  Brigham and Women's Hospital / Harvard Medical School

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Chief, Division of Sleep Medicine

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 11, 2012
• First Posted: December 7, 2012
• Study Start: September 1, 2012
• Primary Completion: November 1, 2012
• Study Completion: November 1, 2012
• Last Updated: January 18, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-01

Locations

US (1)