Wallner Bernd, Caramazza Fabio, Woyke Simon, Winkler Manuel, Regli Ivo B, Mair Peter, Putzer Gabriel, Strapazzon Giacomo, Falk Markus, Brugger Hermann, Hüfner Katharina
Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University Hospital, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy.
Brain Behav. 2025 Jul;15(7):e70684. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70684.
Companion rescue using avalanche transceivers can lead to a disproportionate increase in mental stress and arousal, which can negatively affect performance. The aim of this mixed-methods field study was to assess the effects of automated verbal commands on mental stress and affective responses.
Participants performed two search trials using avalanche transceivers with either verbal commands (VOICE) or without verbal commands (NO VOICE) in simulated avalanche rescue scenarios. The study assessed perceived mental stress with a visual analogue scale (VAS 1-10 points) and used the Self-Assessment-Manikin with 9-point Likert scales to measure affective response (valence, arousal, and dominance). Semistructured interviews were performed to assess the specific effects of verbal commands.
Participants reported higher levels of mental stress after the trials than before the trials (-1.2 ± 2.3 points; p ≤ 0.001). A smaller increase (59.0 ± 8.2 s vs. larger increase [81.0 ± 11.5 s]) in mental stress, as detected in participants using VOICE navigation, resulted in shorter coarse search times. VOICE (Δ -1.2 ± 3.2 vs. Δ -0.6 ± 2.7 points; p = 0.041) showed a greater reduction in arousal, resulting in faster coarse search. In the qualitative interviews, the majority described VOICE navigation to be helpful. In the individual semistructured interviews, those subjects reporting a stress reduction through VOICE (38.5 ± 4.7 s vs. no stress reduction [107.4 ± 24.3 s]; p = 0.001) had a significantly faster coarse search time, and those who indicated VOICE to be helpful were faster in the coarse search (p = 0.013).
The study demonstrated that even a simulated avalanche rescue scenario results in increased mental stress levels. VOICE navigation may be an interesting option for companion avalanche rescue since it helps to reduce mental stress and arousal, thereby leading to shorter search times. The most significant limitation of the study was the setting of an experimentally created avalanche scenario, which cannot fully replicate all the environmental and psychological factors of a veritable burial situation.
使用雪崩救援信标进行同伴救援可能会导致心理压力和唤醒水平不成比例地增加，进而对救援表现产生负面影响。这项混合方法的实地研究旨在评估自动语音指令对心理压力和情感反应的影响。
参与者在模拟雪崩救援场景中使用带有语音指令（VOICE）或不带有语音指令（NO VOICE）的雪崩救援信标进行了两次搜索试验。该研究使用视觉模拟量表（1-10分）评估感知到的心理压力，并使用9点李克特量表的自我评估人体模型来测量情感反应（效价、唤醒和支配）。进行了半结构化访谈以评估语音指令的具体效果。
参与者报告试验后的心理压力水平高于试验前（-1.2±2.3分；p≤0.001）。在使用VOICE导航的参与者中检测到心理压力的增加较小（59.0±8.2秒与较大增加[81.0±11.5秒]），这导致了更短的粗略搜索时间。VOICE（Δ-1.2±3.2与Δ-0.6±2.7分；p=0.041）显示出更大的唤醒降低，从而导致更快的粗略搜索。在定性访谈中，大多数人描述VOICE导航很有帮助。在个体半结构化访谈中，那些报告通过VOICE减轻压力的受试者（38.5±4.7秒与未减轻压力[107.4±24.3秒]；p=0.001）的粗略搜索时间明显更快，而那些表示VOICE有帮助的人在粗略搜索中更快（p=0.013）。
该研究表明，即使是模拟的雪崩救援场景也会导致心理压力水平增加。VOICE导航可能是同伴雪崩救援的一个有趣选择，因为它有助于减轻心理压力和唤醒，从而缩短搜索时间。该研究最显著的局限性是设置了一个实验创建的雪崩场景，它不能完全复制真实掩埋情况的所有环境和心理因素。
