Investigation of the technology and assessment standard of EEG photic stimulative activation for pilot selection

Objective To improve the technology of photic stimulative activation (PSA) and enhance the efficiency of electroencephalogram (EEG) examination in Air Force pilot selection. Methods A new flashlight for PSA was developed by optimizing the current technology and verified in pilot selection. Results Comparing to the old type the improvements of new flashlight included: ①the cambered appearance design enabled wider view field covered, the added LEDs and enhanced photic luminance allowed better evoking effect, and those improved the performance of flashlight. ②The photic frequency order was optimized by retaining 8, 10, 13, and 15 Hz but abandoning 6, 20, and 30 Hz. ③The new flashlight showed more significant photic evoking effects for the suspended abnormal EEG on such indices as photic driving reaction, multiple reaction and abnormal EEG waveform in PSA assessment. But for the diagnosed abnormal the evoking effects with new flashlight on 4 indices had no significant difference with the old one. ④The detection rate of PSA photic driving reaction duration time (≤5 s) evoked by the new flashlight increased by 10% as compared with that evoked by the old one. Conclusions The new PSA technology could significantly enhance the detection rate of the suspended abnormal EEG.It’s also helpful on effectively grading the stability of cerebral function. Key words: Electroencephalography; Photic stimulation; Physical examination; Personnel selection; Photic driving; Cerebral function