Medical standards for experimental human use in acceleration stress research

Acceleration research is necessary to ensure optimum protection for individuals flying high performance fighter aircraft. Human volunteers exposed to high sustained +Gz stress must be carefully screened to assure that no one is at increased risk for G-induced trauma. Rigorous medical standards for qualifying research subjects must be established and followed. Careful documentation of G-related symptoms and physiologic disturbances enhances the safety aspects of human experimentation. No severe or life-threatening incidents have occurred. A number of symptoms resulting from +Gz exposure have been documented with loss of consciousness being the most frequently documented symptom. The most frequent medical reason for disqualifying an individual volunteer from participation in the acceleration program was because of irregularities noted on spinal x-rays. The current medical standards and clinical diagnostic testing used to screen volunteer subjects at the USAF School of Aerospace Medicine are reviewed along with the symptoms which have resulted over a three year period of high sustained +Gz stress exposures.