J Clin Neurol.  2018 Apr;14(2):212-214. 10.3988/jcn.2018.14.2.212.

Electroencephalographic Abnormalities in the Screening for Pilot Applicants in Korea

• Oh DA
• Kim H
• Bae EK

• KMID: 2407949
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2018.14.2.212

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Electroencephalography (EEG) is often used as a screening tool for selecting pilots despite controversy regarding its contribution to aviation safety. We investigated EEG abnormalities in Korean commercial pilot applicants in order to identify the usefulness of EEG screening in this population.
METHODS
We retrospectively analyzed the EEG results of 740 unselected pilot applicants who underwent waking EEG at Inha University Hospital from January 2013 to May 2017. EEG recording was performed for 30 minutes, which included 3 minutes of hyperventilation and intermittent photic stimulation.
RESULTS
The pilot applicants were predominantly male (95.3%) and had a mean age of 27.8 years (range: 16-40 years). Nine of them (1.2%) exhibited EEG abnormalities; the most common abnormality (six applicants) was a small amount of generalized irregular slow activities, while the other three applicants (0.4%) exhibited epileptiform discharges, with two showing generalized spike-and-wave complexes and one showing a few spike-and-wave complexes in the left frontotemporal area. The two applicants with generalized spike-and-wave complexes were found to have experienced clinical seizures by a neurologist during detailed history-taking.
CONCLUSIONS
This study found that 2 of 740 pilot applicants (0.3%) were diagnosed with epilepsy by routine EEG screening in an unselected population. Considering the low predictive value of EEG without the relevant clinical history in an unselected healthy young population, our findings raise questions regarding the cost-effectiveness of the current EEG screening protocol applied to pilot applicants. We suggest that a more-targeted and standardized EEG screening approach be applied to pilot applicants with epilepsy risk factors or a seizure history as determined by thorough medical history-taking.

Keyword

electroencephalography; screening; seizure; epilepsy; pilots

MeSH Terms

Aviation
Electroencephalography
Epilepsy
Humans
Hyperventilation
Korea*
Male
Mass Screening*
Photic Stimulation
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Seizures

Figure

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  Fig. 1 Electroencephalography (EEG) recordings of two male applicants diagnosed with epilepsy. EEG demonstrated generalized spike-and-wave complexes in the applicants who were aged 17 years (A) and 18 years (B).

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