Astronauts on board the ISS took longer to perform certain tasks, raising concern over the effects spaceflight has on the human brain.
A new study is shedding light on the lesser known effects of space on cognitive behavior and how astronauts’ slower performance could impact our ability to embark on long duration journeys through the cosmos.
For the study, the astronauts were given 10 tests to complete on Earth, once ahead of their launch to space and twice after their return back home . The astronauts also had to complete the same tests on board the space station, both early on and towards the end of the six-month duration of their missions. For each of the tests, the researchers measured speed and accuracy, comparing the performance of the astronauts at those five points in time.
“Even on Earth, processing speed, working memory, and attention are cognitive domains that can show temporary changes when an individual is under stress. Other domains, such as memory, are less vulnerable to stressors,” Dev said. “For example, if you happen to have a really busy day but couldn’t get much sleep the night before, you might feel like it’s hard to pay attention or that you need more time to complete tasks.
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