Robert D O'Donnell | PubMed Health

PubMed2005

Generating performance test batteries relevant to specific operational tasks.

The present review focuses on the development of a performance battery generation system that selects performance tests most applicable to particular jobs. First, a list or taxonomy of cognitive and performance skills that are involved in real-world jobs or missions is developed. Based on this list, an "armory" of performance tests probing those skills is identified. A new technique is then developed to select from that armory the minimum number of tests that optimally probe the demands of a specific job or mission. While specifics of these developments will continue to evolve, it is hoped that the general framework described here will help close the gap between laboratory testing and real-world tasks, and form the foundation of the way performance test batteries will be developed in the future.

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PubMed2005

Assessing psychoactive pharmaceuticals and transitioning pharmacological fatigue countermeasures into operational environments.

Herein we summarize a discussion on the topic of how psychopharmaceuticals for potential military operational use may be evaluated based on their effects on performance and safety, and introduce two manuscripts: the first (Caldwell and Caldwell; 1) addressing the operational use of fatigue countermeasures; and the second (Rowland; 3) discussing the potential operational use and limitations of ketamine as a field analgesic. Fatigue countermeasures are usually employed by a relatively small number of military members engaged in sustained or continuous operations when sleep is not an option. Clinical treatments are available at any time as required to treat medical conditions. The issue of importance for the operational community, with regard to both clinical use of psychopharmaceuticals and performance maintenance through fatigue countermeasures, should be whether the medication impairs operationally relevant performance, assuming the disorder for which the medication is prescribed does not in itself prohibit operational duties. Applied research paradigms are generally discussed for assessing and transitioning pharmaceutical compounds from the laboratory to the operational environment. Tier 1 focuses on quantifying the impact of stressors and interventions in healthy members of the general population, while Tier 2 testing would use military or operationally matched volunteers in simulated or actual field environments. The section papers address two areas of operational relevance--the Caldwell and Caldwell paper presents guidelines for the use of fatigue countermeasures, and the Rowland paper discusses the potential effects of ketamine, an agent intended to replace morphine as a battlefield analgesic, on cognition.

Aerospace Medicine↗