FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine
Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Report No: DOT/FAA/AM-78/18

Title and Subtitle: Experimental attempts to evoke a differential response to different stressors

Report Date: April 1978

Authors: Melton CE, McKenzie JM, Saldivar JT, Wicks SM

Abstract: Ten paid male subjects each worked at a physical task with no competitive element (treadmill) and a competitive task ('Pong') with minimal physical activity. There were three work periods, each 50 min long. Ten minutes were allowed for rest and urine collection after each work period. The experimental period lasted 3 h. Urine was analyzed for 17-ketogenic steroids (17-KGS), epinephrine (E), and norepinephrine (NE). Heart rates were derived from ambulatory electrocardiograms.

There were no statistically significant differences in excretion of urinary metabolites during corresponding episodes of the two tasks. Heart rates were significantly higher during treadmill work than during Pong playing. Rest-to-work differences show that the increment in E excretion is significantly greater during the Pong task than during the treadmill task. Rest-to-work differences in excretion of 17-KGS and NE are not significant. The rest-to-work increase in heart rate is significant for treadmill, but not for Pong. The increase in epinephrine excretion strengthens the conclusion drawn from field experiments that this measurement is the best indicator of the intensity of air traffic control work per se.

Key Words: Stress, Urinary metabolites, Air traffic controllers

No. of Pages: 5