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MOMRP Task Area: Q

Problem

Mental agility is essential for optimal soldier performance. Soldiers must be able to quickly and efficiently synthesize large amounts of data for situational awareness and have the capability for rapid, correct decision-making on the modern battlefield. Operational missions often restrict opportunities for adequate rest and sleep, thus reducing soldiers’ cognitive effectiveness. Fatigued soldiers don’t have optimal mental agility. Leaders and operational planners need accurate models to predict performance decrements, identify the best work/rest schedules, and plan effective fatigue countermeasure interventions, such as drug countermeasures or optimal rest times; however, current models cannot adequately predict even group performance.

Medical Research Solution

Collect data in laboratory and field studies and explore state-of-the-art cognitive assessment technologies to develop valid models of fatigue, sleepiness, and performance.

Products

Bio-mathematical model of fatigue, sleepiness, and performance in which the effects of sleep loss, mental workload, time-on-task (fatigue), pharmacological countermeasures, and/or recovery sleep can be specified for particular tasks or categories of tasks.

Last Update: April 2, 2003