Spaceflight Effects on Cognitive Functioning
What You Need to Know Before You Apply
What is the purpose of this trial?
This trial explores how extended space travel affects thinking skills and brain health. It compares astronauts on 6-month and 12-month missions to those staying on Earth as controls. The study examines general cognitive performance and specific brain changes, particularly in the hippocampus, which is crucial for learning and memory. Suitable participants include astronauts or individuals willing to act as astronaut surrogates, matched by sex, age, and education, without conditions that interfere with MRI scans. As an unphased study, this trial provides a unique opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research on space travel's impact on brain health.
Will I have to stop taking my current medications?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, if you have a medication pump, it may affect your eligibility for MRI testing.
What prior data suggests that spaceflight is safe for cognitive functioning?
Research has shown that long spaceflights, such as 6-month and 12-month missions on the International Space Station, present certain challenges. Studies have found that astronauts often experience stress during extended periods in space, which can lead to issues like depression and cognitive changes.
Further research has examined how space conditions, such as microgravity and distance from Earth, affect cognition and behavior. For instance, astronauts may undergo changes in brain structure, impacting their thinking and problem-solving abilities.
While these effects are significant, the research enhances understanding of the risks and aids in astronaut preparation. Potential participants should know that space missions are closely monitored to manage these risks.12345Why are researchers excited about this trial?
Researchers are excited about the "Spaceflight Effects on Cognitive Functioning" trial because it explores how extended space travel impacts cognitive abilities, a relatively uncharted territory. Unlike current cognitive studies that typically occur on Earth, this trial examines the effects of microgravity and space conditions over six and twelve-month periods. The unique setting of the International Space Station allows scientists to collect biometric and cognitive data under conditions that can't be replicated on Earth, offering insights that could transform our understanding of human cognition in space. This trial could pave the way for new strategies to maintain astronaut health on long-duration missions, such as those to Mars.
What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for cognitive functioning?
This trial will compare astronauts on 6-month and 12-month missions to the International Space Station (ISS) with a control group on Earth. Research has shown that astronauts on 6-month missions generally do not experience a decline in thinking skills, with abilities like memory and attention usually remaining stable. However, spending six months in space can alter the brain's structure, such as reducing white matter, which is crucial for communication between different brain regions.
For 12-month missions, studies have shown more significant changes in the brain compared to 6-month missions. These include shifts in brain fluids and structural changes. Evidence indicates that thinking speed and attention can slow down during longer missions. These changes suggest that while thinking skills might remain stable, longer space missions can have more noticeable effects on the brain.678910Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?
This trial is for astronauts who meet NASA's criteria and healthy volunteers matched in age and education to the astronauts. Participants must be able to undergo MRI scans, not have significant hearing loss, implanted medical devices, previous major brain or heart surgery, pregnancy potential, tattoos with metallic ink, or non-removable metal objects in their body.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline for a Trial Participant
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Pre-flight Baseline
Participants undergo baseline cognitive and biometric assessments prior to spaceflight
Spaceflight (2-Month Arm)
Astronauts on 2-month missions undergo cognitive and biometric assessments during spaceflight
Spaceflight (6-Month Arm)
Astronauts on 6-month missions undergo cognitive and biometric assessments during spaceflight
Spaceflight (12-Month Arm)
Astronauts on 12-month missions undergo cognitive and biometric assessments during spaceflight
Post-flight Follow-up
Participants are monitored for cognitive and structural brain changes after returning to Earth
What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?
Interventions
- Controls
- Spaceflight
Trial Overview
The study examines how long-duration spaceflights (12 months) aboard the International Space Station affect cognitive abilities and brain structure compared to shorter missions (6 months and 2 months). It focuses on general cognition using a test battery and spatial cognition alongside changes in the hippocampus.
How Is the Trial Designed?
3
Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Subjects matched to 12-month astronauts that stay on Earth and are investigated at similar time points.
Astronauts on 6-month International Space Station missions will be exposed to spaceflight for a duration of 6 months. Biometric and cognitive data will routinely be collected.
Astronauts on 12-month International Space Station missions will be exposed to spaceflight for a duration of 12 months. Biometric and cognitive data will routinely be collected.
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of Pennsylvania
Lead Sponsor
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Collaborator
DLR German Aerospace Center
Collaborator
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Collaborator
Citations
The Impact of 6 and 12 Months in Space on Human Brain ...
Twelve months in space generally resulted in larger changes across multiple brain areas compared with 6-month missions and aging, particularly for fluid shifts.
Long-term spaceflight composite stress induces ...
The famous “NASA TWINS STUDY” also provided a scientific finding that extended mission duration (12 months) may negatively affect postflight ...
3.
frontiersin.org
frontiersin.org/news/2024/11/20/astronauts-slower-space-no-permanent-cognitive-declineAstronauts found to process some tasks slower in space ...
Researchers found that astronauts' processing speed, working memory, and attention slowed down, but a few months in space did not result in ...
Effect of spaceflight experience on human brain structure ...
12-month missions in space resulted in larger changes in brain structure and fluid shifts compared to 6-month missions and aging. Changes in ...
Effects of spaceflight on the brain
Microgravity results in headward fluid shifts, ventricular expansion, an upward shift of the brain within the skull, and remodelling of grey and white matter.
cognitive performance assessment for exploration class
This work identifies the specific cognitive challenges that astronauts are likely to encounter during surface exploration EVA, and provides the ...
Long-term spaceflight composite stress induces depression ...
This kind of long-term spaceflight composite stress (LSCS) could also induce depression and cognitive impairment in various ways.
Impact of spaceflight stressors on behavior and cognition
Neurocognitive consequences of exposure to spaceflight stressors were evaluated. Radiation, sleep deprivation, isolation and microgravity were critically ...
Dynamic ensemble prediction of cognitive performance in ...
In this paper, we predict neurobehavioral performance over the course of a 6-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS), using ISS ...
Study demonstrates how cognitive performance correlates ...
A new study demonstrates for the first time that changes in cognitive performance correlate with changes in brain structure in NASA astronauts ...
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