戰鬥機飛行員在飛行前抽煙是否會影響其於低壓艙虛擬18,000呎高空環境下的注意力

Does Pre-fl ight Cigarette Smoking Affect the Military Aviator’s Attention at a Simulated Altitude of 18,000 Feet Created by a Hypobaric Chamber

目的：本研究是探討以低壓艙虛擬18,000 呎的高空環境下，戰鬥機飛行員在飛行前抽 煙是否會影響其於高空的注意力。方法：我們採用視覺搜尋(visual search) 和不協調(incompatibility) 作業來評估96 位（72 位吸煙者和24 位不吸煙者）飛行員的注意力。首先， 全部的受試者都在地面的低壓艙中接受二種注意力作業的測驗。隨後，我們在抽煙者中隨機 選取48 位受試者，使其抽含1.0 毫克尼古丁的香煙；其餘抽煙組的24 位受試者抽含0.1 毫 克尼古丁的香煙(smoker group 2)。完成抽煙者的抽煙程序後，再將抽含1.0 毫克尼古丁香 煙的受試者平均分為二組（ smoker group 1 和3 ），每組24 人。除了smoker group 3（ 全 程作業皆在地面上進行）以外的受試者，再度進入低壓艙中虛擬18,000 呎的高空；全部受 試者皆再度接受二種注意力作業的測驗。結果：在抽煙者中，無論在地面或18,000 呎的高 空，抽煙對視覺搜尋和不協調作業的反應時間皆有促進的效益；高度和注意力的關係還需要 進一步釐清。結論：在18,000 呎高空，抽煙能促進吸煙者的注意力。

Objectives: Cigarette smoking affects performance and attention, but its relationship is unclear. Aviators require sustained, focused attention to maintain aviation safety, but they are frequently exposed to high-altitude environments. In this study, we intended to investigate whether pre-fl ight cigarette smoking would affect the attention of military aviators at a simulated altitude of 18,000 feet created by a hypobaric chamber. Methods: We evaluated 96 (72 smokers and 24 non-smokers) aviators with the visual search and the incompatibility task. All participants took part in two tasks in a hypobaric chamber at ground level. We randomly chose 48 participants in the smoking group to receive a piece of cigarette with a nicotine dose of 1.0 mg; the other participants in the smoking group (n = 24) received a piece of cigarette with a nicotine dose of 0.1 mg (smoker group 2). After we gave the smoking participants a piece of cigarette, the smokers who received the 1.0 mg nicotine dose were equally divided into two groups (smoker groups 1 and 3; n = 24 each). All aviators except those in smoker group 3 (at ground level for the whole procedure) were subjected to altitude of 18,000 feet. Participants undertook the two tasks again. Results: In smokers, cigarette smoking was found to have a positive effect on reaction time in both visual search and incompatibility tasks, regardless of altitude. The trend was not clear about attitude and attention since no difference was found among smoker group 1 and 3. Conclusion: Cigarette smoking facilitates attention during the visual search and incompatibility tasks in smokers at 18,000 feet of altitude.