Performance Sustainment of Two Man Crews during 87 Hours of Extended Wakefulness with Stimulants and Napping

http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA498120&Location=U2&doc=GetTRDoc.pdf

USAARL 2009-04

Performance Sustainment of Two Man Crews during 87 Hours of Extended Wakefulness with Stimulants and Napping

Patricia LeDuc, Terri Rowe, Christopher Martin, Ian Curry, Robert
Wildzunas, Elmar Schmeisser, Arthur Estrada, Julie Bass, Lisa Palacio,
Tiffany Rouse, Lisa Dueringer, and Lana Milam

Thirty-two pilots each completed twenty-two simulated flights and other evaluations during 87 hours of sustained operations. General results are that dextroamphetamine and modafinil similarly attenuated numerous sleep loss problems. While caffeine had some benefits preventing performance declines, changes in performance often mimicked those seen in the placebo group. The benefits of all three stimulants were most noticeable from 0200 until 1000 when the fatigue from sleep deprivation was greatest. The most consistent drug effects were seen on physiological measures and self-reported mood, but a number of performance effects were seen as well. These data are compared to previous flight simulator studies of dexedrine and modafinil with respect to dose effects on operator performance as well as the need to examine the resilience and vulnerability of team behavior as a fatigue countermeasure. These findings strongly suggest that stimulant medications can assist the warfighter in maintaining acceptable levels of judgment
and decision making, as well as crew coordination, when combat requirements dictate long periods of sleep deprivation