Speaker
Matthew J. Hall
Date
Location
S 105
Abstract
Hypoxia, caused by low oxygen at high altitudes, impairs cognitive and perceptual functions, posing risks for aircraft pilots. In this talk, I will be reviewing how hypoxia has been shown to affect neural activity and our current study, which detects these hypoxia-induced changes in EEG activity, focusing on burst dynamics across specific frequency bands during progressive oxygen reduction. Participants underwent cognitive tests under a normoxia (21% O2) and hypoxia (14.3% to 8.1% O2) condition. Using a dual-threshold, amplitude-based detector, bursting activity was detected. Significant increases in EEG burst features were observed in the θα and β bands, with δθ changes emerging during severe hypoxia, coinciding with task abandonment in some participants. Strong correlations were found between burst features and behavioral metrics like SpO2, heart rate, and task performance. These findings show proper detection of novel neurological signatures of hypoxia, offering potential for real-time EEG monitoring in aviation to enhance warning systems and improve flight safety.