Even on Earth, information processing speed, working memory, and attention are cognitive areas that can temporarily change under stress. All it takes is a very busy day or a sleepless night to experience difficulty concentrating or need more time to complete tasks. Meanwhile space carries extreme stressors such as radiation, microgravity, and the demands of the mission itself.
This affects the human body, and previous research has shown that long-term spaceflight can lead to loss of bone density, muscle atrophy, and negatively impact the heart, eyes, spine, cells, and overall physical performance. When it comes to the brain, research on astronaut cognitive behavior is less developedalthough there is evidence that space can also influence this area.
Astronaut brain in space
A study published in 2020 found that long-term space flights can change the amount of cerebrospinal fluidthe increased volume of which persists for a year after the astronauts return. A 2017 study also found that long stays in space cause both an increase and decrease in the amount of gray matter in various areas of the brain.
So a team of scientists from NASA’s Health and Behavior Laboratory decided analyze the behavior of 25 astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS)to learn more about this issue. As part of the study, astronauts performed 10 tests on Earth – once before take-off and twice after return (10 days and 30 days after landing). The same tests were also conducted aboard the ISS, both at the beginning and at the end of the six-month missions.
Will our brain stop the colonization of other planets?
The researchers analyzed the speed and accuracy of the tasks, comparing results at five different times. The results showed that astronauts responded more slowly to tasks assessing information processing speed, working memory and attention in space than on Earthbut their accuracy remained at the same level.
Living and working in space was not associated with widespread cognitive impairment that could indicate severe brain damage
Importantly, these changes did not persist after returning to Earth, but it is unknown whether this would be the case after a longer stayand the results published in the journal Frontiers in Physiology raise concerns about the impact of future missions to the Moon and Mars on astronauts’ brain function. Especially as NASA prepares to return astronauts to the Moon as part of the Artemis program, which aims to establish a permanent human presence on the surface of the Silver Globe and travel to Mars.
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Source: geekweek.interia.pl
