Fatigue and Stimulant Use in Military Fighter Aircrew During Combat Operations

Abstract

In-flight stimulants decrease fatigue during combat operations without significant postflight symptoms. During combat, stimulants were used earlier, at lower doses, and on shorter sorties than previously thought. The factors associated with stimulant use are potentially modifiable by improving training and aircrew scheduling practices. Furthermore, current policies authorizing stimulant use, based primarily on sortie duration, should also consider hypnotic use, inconsistent aircrew scheduling, and circadian disruption.

Medicalisation or customisation? Sleep, enterprise and enhancement in the 24/7 society

“…Studies have shown that as well as improving feelings of increased alertness and maintaining wakefulness in those who have sleep disorders or who are sleep deprived (Caldwell, Caldwell, Smith, Alvarado, & Heintz, 2004), use of the drug can provide a variety of moderate cognitive benefits to those without illness, including improving attention, memory and executive functions (Gore, Webb, & Hermes, 2010;Müller, Steffenhagen, Regenthal, & Bublak, 2004;Pigeau et al, 1995;Repantis, Schlattmann, Laisney, & Heuser, 2010;Turner et al, 2003).…”

Making the Case for ‘Power Abuse Disorder' as a Nosologic Entity

“…We will demonstrate in the following that it does. As we think that striving for and wielding power engages the dopamine system more than any other neurotransmitter systems of the reward neuronetworks (see below), we focus on the experimental evidence presented by 2 groups who not only studied the effects of power wielding on the dopaminergic system with the reward neuronetwork per se but also investigated the effects of power wielding on the consumption of cocaine, a psychostimulant; psychostimulants having been used since World War II by military personnel of various nations to boost flagging-motivated behavior and alertness (see, e.g., [47,48]).…”

Brave new interactions

“…While such drugs are designed to help, e.g., narcolepsy patients, they also can support healthy people in working longer than their body would usually support them. This property is also desirable in the military and it thus should not be a surprise that many fighter pilots use such drugs to enhance alertness and performance [8]. In addition to pharmaceuticals, common substances such as caffeine also have an effect on fatigue [24].…”