Office of Aerospace Medicine Technical Reports
FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-73/21
Title and Subtitle: Physiological responses in air traffic control personnel: Houston Intercontinental Tower
Report Date: December 1973
Authors: Melton CE Jr, McKenzie JM, Polis BD, Hoffmann SM, Saldivar JT
Abstract: Biochemical and physiological indices of stress showed that the level of stress of 16 air traffic controllers at the Houston Intercontinental Airport Tower was indistinguishable from that of control populations. While the level of stress was lower than that among O'Hare Tower controllers, both groups showed about the same degree of adaptation.
Day work (heavy traffic load) at Houston was characterized by elevated levels of all stress indicators as compared with the mid-shift (light traffic); epinephrine excretion increased significantly during the last half of the mid-shift as compared with the first half. Urinary stress indicators (17-ketogenic steroids, epinephrine, norepinephrine) were all significantly elevated during day sleep as compared with night sleep, indicating less effective rest during day sleep.
Key Words: Stress, Air Traffic Controllers
No. of Pages: 19
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute
Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-73/21
Title and Subtitle: Physiological responses in air traffic control personnel: Houston Intercontinental Tower
Report Date: December 1973
Authors: Melton CE Jr, McKenzie JM, Polis BD, Hoffmann SM, Saldivar JT
Abstract: Biochemical and physiological indices of stress showed that the level of stress of 16 air traffic controllers at the Houston Intercontinental Airport Tower was indistinguishable from that of control populations. While the level of stress was lower than that among O'Hare Tower controllers, both groups showed about the same degree of adaptation.
Day work (heavy traffic load) at Houston was characterized by elevated levels of all stress indicators as compared with the mid-shift (light traffic); epinephrine excretion increased significantly during the last half of the mid-shift as compared with the first half. Urinary stress indicators (17-ketogenic steroids, epinephrine, norepinephrine) were all significantly elevated during day sleep as compared with night sleep, indicating less effective rest during day sleep.
Key Words: Stress, Air Traffic Controllers
No. of Pages: 19
Last updated: Friday, June 1, 2012