A resting-state functional magnetic resonance study on the changes in brain function of fighter pilots after exposure to hypoxia
LIANG Minglong
XU Jianhua
ZHU Jinwang
CHEN Shanshan
JIANG Xianhao
LU Qinyan
Abstract：Objective To investigate the effects of acute hypoxia on brain function and cognitive ability in fighter pilots using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)combined with a simulated hypoxia experiment.Methods A total of 60 healthy fighter pilots undergoing recuperation at a designated unit from June 2022 to October 2023 were selected.Hypoxia at an altitude of 5 000 m was simulated by having the participants inhale a hypoxic gas mixture with an oxygen concentration of 11.1%.Neuropsychological assessment results and brain functional imaging data before and after hypoxia exposure were compared and analyzed.Results Neuropsychological tests showed that after hypoxia exposure,the pilots'accuracy per unit time in the Spatial Rotation Test(P=0.01)and the Two-Dimensional Digit Search Test(P<0.01)decreased significantly,indicating impaired spatial imagination and information-processing abilities.Other cognitive dimensions(such as spatial orientation and learning ability)showed no significant changes.Rs-fMRI analysis revealed that after hypoxia exposure,regional homogeneity(ReHo)decreased in the bilateral superior frontal gyri,while ReHo increased in the primary visual cortex(bilateral calcarine cortex).Global functional connectivity density(FCD)analysis showed that FCD values in core regions of the default mode network(bilateral posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus)decreased significantly.Correlation analysis further indicated that the decline in spatial imagination ability was positively correlated with reduced FCD in the precuneus(r=0.57,P<0.01),suggesting that this brain region plays a key role in spatial cognition.Conclusion Hypoxia exposure impairs specific cognitive functions in pilots by weakening local and global connectivity in higher-order cognitive brain areas while inducing compensatory enhancement in vision-related regions.These findings provide imaging evidence for understanding the neural mechanisms underlying behavioral abnormalities in pilots under hypoxic conditions,which has important implications for optimizing flight training,improving protective measures,and ensuring aviation safety.
Keywords：pilotaircraft fighterresting-state fMRIneuropsychological assessment
Publication Date：2025-12-25
Online Publishing Date：2026-01-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 534-538 )