Military medicine
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Objectively determining soldiers' fatigue levels could help prevent injuries or accidents resulting from inattention or decreased alertness. Eye-tracking technologies, such as optical eye tracking (OET) and electrooculography (EOG), are often used to monitor fatigue. Eyeblinks-especially blink frequency and blink duration-are known as easily observable and valid biomarkers of fatigue. Currently, various eye trackers (i.e., eye-tracking glasses) are available on the market using either OET or EOG technologies. These wearable eye trackers offer several advantages, including unobtrusive functionality, practicality, and low costs. However, several challenges and limitations must be considered when implementing these technologies in the field to monitor fatigue levels. This review investigates the feasibility of eye tracking in the field focusing on the practical applications in military operational environments. ⋯ Monitoring physiological and psychological readiness of soldiers, as well as other civil professionals that face higher risks when their attention is impaired or reduced, is necessary. However, improvements to eye-tracking devices' hardware, calibration method, sampling rate, and algorithm are needed in order to accurately monitor fatigue levels in the field.
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The U.S. military has a 50-year history of managing resettlement or refugee camps on bases. In July and August 2021, more than 124,000 persons were evacuated from Afghanistan, with 55,000 Afghans temporarily housed at U.S. military bases around the world during Operation Allies Welcome (OAW) at its peak. ⋯ Partners and providers involved in any refugee setting should become familiar with updated guidelines, standards, and best practices and apply them to any operation to ensure a rights-based approach to protection, care, and the health and well-being of refugees.
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Special Operations Forces (SOF) personnel are at increased risk for traumatic brain injury (TBI), when compared with conventional forces (CF). Prior studies of TBI in military samples have not typically investigated SOF vs. CF as specific subgroups, despite documented differences in premorbid resilience and post-injury comorbidity burden. The aim of the current study was to compare SOF vs. CF on the presence of neurobehavioral symptoms after TBI, as well as factors influencing perception of symptom intensity. ⋯ Among those receiving inpatient treatment for TBI, SOF SM/V reported higher neurobehavioral and symptom severity. PTSD was the strongest predictor of neurobehavioral symptoms and should be considered an important treatment target in both SOF and CF with co-morbid PTSD/TBI. A proactive human performance approach towards identification and treatment of psychological and neurobehavioral symptoms is recommended for SOF.
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Musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) are a significant health problem in the military. Accordingly, identifying risk factors associated with MSKI to develop targeted strategies that attenuate injury risk remains a top priority within the military. Insufficient sleep has garnered increased attention as a potential risk factor for MSKI in both civilians and military personnel. Yet, there are no systematic evaluations of the potential association between sleep and MSKI in the military. The purpose of this review is to examine the relationship between sleep and injury in military personnel. ⋯ This is the first systematic review to evaluate the published literature on the association between sleep and MSKI risk in military populations. Although there is currently limited research on this topic, findings suggest that sleep is associated with MSKI and should be considered when designing strategies aimed at reducing MSKI risk in military personnel.