MISMATCH NEGATIVITY AND REORIENTING NEGATIVITY DEMONSTRATED DURING EEG FLIGHT TRIALS

METHODS: An auditory oddball task was used such that 100 ms standard (1000Hz) and deviant (1500Hz) tones were presented at a rate of one per second. Deviant tones represented 10% of the tone sequence, and were delivered at random, unpredictable times. RESULTS: Across a series of 15-minute flight segments, characteristic ERP sensory components (P1, N1, and P2) were observed in response to the standard tones. More importantly, when the event-related potentials to standard and deviant tones were compared, a significant mismatch negativity (MMN) with a classic frontocentral distribution was observed. A statistically significant reorienting negativity (RON) was also observed, suggesting a reorienting to the primary flight task following distraction by the deviant tones. DISCUSSION: Mismatch and reorienting negativity are small ERP components that can be difficult to detect in environments that are high in electromagnetic noise. The demonstration of reliable MMN and RON effects during actual flight represents an important step in the development of pilot alertness monitoring techniques.