An interventional study of Hypoxia exposure and Oxygen administration in Hypoxia, Hypoxia Brain and Hypoxia Altitude Simulation Test, sponsored by Direction Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in France. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 45 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-05-13.
Sponsored by Direction Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées · Not applicable, Interventional, and Other
The goal of this study is to investigate whether prospective memory, i.e., memory for delayed intentions, is impaired at moderate altitude (4,000m).
It will also allow to study the effect of air and oxygen administration during hypoxia exposure.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Participants will:
Flight crew operate in a dynamic, complex, and uncertain environment that requires them to process a large amount of information from multiple sources under time pressure. To successfully carry out their mission, flight crews must therefore constantly sort, prioritize, and analyze relevant information based on the situation, which requires them to manage their cognitive resources simultaneously-at the risk of experiencing a decline in performance that could significantly compromise aviation safety.
With recent changes in the geostrategic context, the flight profiles of operational missions expose military aircraft crews and onboard operators to a greater risk of in-flight hypoxia. During an acute hypoxic episode, physiological cardiac and respiratory responses are triggered to protect the body-and particularly the brain-from oxygen deprivation. However, these mechanisms are effective only for a limited time. If normoxia is not restored, symptoms will manifest as hypoxemia worsens.
Among flight crew members, impairments in cognitive functions-particularly prospective memory-such as failing to report one's position to other aircraft or failing to retract the flaps before takeoff, are common and can lead to serious accidents. To our knowledge, the effects of hypoxic exposure on this form of memory have not yet been investigated.
Exclusion Criteria:
S1 = Normoxia exposure + air administration S2 = Hypoxia exposure + air administration
Other: Hypoxia exposure · Other: Air administration · Behavioral: Standardized cognitive tests (on a computer) · Device: Physiological measurements · Biological: Blood sample · Behavioral: Cognitive tests embedded in a flight simulator scenario
S1 = Hypoxia exposure + air administration S2 = Normoxia exposure + air administration
Other: Hypoxia exposure · Other: Air administration · Behavioral: Standardized cognitive tests (on a computer) · Device: Physiological measurements · Biological: Blood sample · Behavioral: Cognitive tests embedded in a flight simulator scenario
S1 = Normoxia exposure + oxygen administration S2 = Hypoxia exposure + oxygen administration
Other: Hypoxia exposure · Drug: Oxygen administration · Behavioral: Standardized cognitive tests (on a computer) · Device: Physiological measurements · Biological: Blood sample · Behavioral: Cognitive tests embedded in a flight simulator scenario
S1 = Hypoxia exposure + oxygen administration S2 = Normoxia exposure + oxygen administration
Other: Hypoxia exposure · Drug: Oxygen administration · Behavioral: Standardized cognitive tests (on a computer) · Device: Physiological measurements · Biological: Blood sample · Behavioral: Cognitive tests embedded in a flight simulator scenario
Normobaric hypoxia exposure (FiO2 = 12,6%, equivalent to 4,000m) during 4h
Oxygen administration (FiO2 = 100%) through a mask during 10 minutes
Air administration (Fi02 = 21%) through a mask during 10 minutes
Auditory oddball, visual oddball, event-based prospective memory, time-based prospective memory, n-back.
EEG, ECG, SpO2, breathing rate, eyetracking, blood pressure
A blood sample is collected for mitochondrial breathing analyses
Event-based prospective memory and time-based prospective memory. Prepar3D flight simulator.
Change in event-based prospective memory accuracy between hypoxia and normoxia conditions
Accuracy (%) = Prospective memory target detection rate (number of targets correctly responded to / total number of targets presented × 100)
Time frame: Through study completion, an average of 1 month
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
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Direction Centrale du Service de Santé des Armées