Matthew Gfeller Sport-Related Traumatic Brain Injury Research Center, Department of Exercise and Sport Science, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Human Movement Science Curriculum, Department of Allied Health Sciences, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
Eur J Neurosci. 2022 May;55(9-10):2804-2812. doi: 10.1111/ejn.15109. Epub 2021 Feb 6.
Military resilience research is increasing due to the growing literature associating resilience with stress adaptation. This study aimed to investigate which physiological stress adaptation components were associated with resilience in Special Operations Forces combat service members. Special Operations Forces combat service members (n = 117) self-reported resilience (ER89) and lifetime clinician-confirmed mild traumatic brain injury history. Participants also underwent transcranial Doppler ultrasonography to measure middle cerebral artery velocity during rest and a breath-holding task. Neither resilience nor mild traumatic brain injury history was significantly associated with middle cerebral artery velocity percent increase following breath-holding; younger Special Operations Forces combat service members had a higher percent increase in middle cerebral artery velocity following a breath-holding task. Resilience was negatively associated with time to return to baseline middle cerebral artery velocity following peak velocity; whereas, mild traumatic brain injury history did not have a significant association. The Special Operations Forces combat service members that scored higher in resilience tended to return to baseline middle cerebral artery velocity following peak velocity faster than their less resilient counterparts. More resilient Special Operations Forces combat service members recovered faster from physiological stress (breath-holding) than less resilient counterparts. This is the first study to investigate resilience and cerebrovascular stress response and recovery in this population. Our initial findings indicated that the Ego Resiliency Scale may be an optimal resilience psychometric and should be used to evaluate effective military resilience trainings, which aim to improve performance and mental health.
由于越来越多的文献将韧性与应激适应联系起来，军事韧性研究正在增加。本研究旨在调查哪些生理应激适应成分与特种作战部队战斗人员的韧性有关。特种作战部队战斗人员（n=117）自我报告韧性（ER89）和终身临床医生确认的轻度创伤性脑损伤病史。参与者还接受了经颅多普勒超声检查，以测量静息和屏气任务期间大脑中动脉速度。韧性和轻度创伤性脑损伤病史均与屏气后大脑中动脉速度的百分比增加无关；年龄较小的特种作战部队战斗人员在屏气后大脑中动脉速度的百分比增加更高。韧性与达到峰值速度后恢复到基线大脑中动脉速度的时间呈负相关；而轻度创伤性脑损伤病史没有显著相关性。在韧性方面得分较高的特种作战部队战斗人员在达到峰值速度后恢复到基线大脑中动脉速度的速度比他们韧性较低的同行更快。更有韧性的特种作战部队战斗人员比韧性较低的同行从生理应激（屏气）中恢复得更快。这是第一项调查该人群韧性和脑血管应激反应和恢复的研究。我们的初步发现表明，自我效能感量表可能是一种理想的韧性心理计量学方法，应用于评估旨在提高绩效和心理健康的有效军事韧性训练。
