Cognitive performance during prolonged periods in isolated, confined, and extreme environments

Connaboy, Christopher, Sinnott, Aaron M., LaGoy, Alice D., Krajewski, Kellen T., Johnson, Caleb D., Pepping, Gert Jan, Simpson, Richard J., Bower, Joanne L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3485-391X and Alfano, Candice A. (2020) Cognitive performance during prolonged periods in isolated, confined, and extreme environments. Acta Astronautica, 177. pp. 545-551. ISSN 0094-5765

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Abstract

Background: Astronauts are required to perform a variety of cognitively demanding tasks in the face of multiple prolonged stressors in isolated, confined and extreme (ICE) environments. Short-term ICE environmental exposure can negatively affect cognitive performance, alter emotional responses, and increase reaction time in affordance-based tasks; however, these domains have not been studied simultaneously in prolonged ICE settings. Coastal and Inland Antarctic stations are excellent analogs for spaceflight based on overlapping environmental features such as limited external communication and confinement in extreme conditions. Our purpose was to investigate the effects of 5-month ICE environment analogs, and co-occurring emotional responses, on cognitive performance and affordance perception. Methods: Participants assigned to either Inland or Coastal stations completed the Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT), Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT), Perception-Action Coupling Task (PACT), and Mental Health Checklist (MHCL) each month for five consecutive months. A series of 1-way ANOVAs were conducted to evaluate WinSCAT, PVT, and PACT performance across time. A series of backward stepwise linear regressions were conducted to determine if duration of ICE environment exposure (months 1–5), station (Coastal and Inland), gender (male and female), education (college degree and no degree), and time of day, in addition to Positive Adaptation, Poor Self-Regulation, and Anxious Apprehension MHCL subscales, were related to cognitive performance outcomes, including WinSCAT composite, PVT median reaction time and lapses, and PACT accuracy and lapses. Results: A within-subjects’ effect indicated improvements across WinSCAT composite score, PACT Accuracy, and PACT lapses. Final regression models were significant across all outcomes, and indicate an improvement in WinSCAT and PACT performance during the winter over, assigned station and education level marginally contributed to the observed variance in cognitive performance. Conclusion: Sustained attention, cognitive performance, and affordance perception and actualization outcomes were marginally affected, or improved, during a prolonged ICE environmental exposure.

Item Type: Article
Additional Information: Funding Information: There are no conflicts of interest. This research was supported by a grant from the National Aeronautical Science Administration (NASA) to Drs. Alfano & Simpson (#NNX15AC13G) Funding Information: Dr. Candice Alfano is Professor of Psychology and Director of the Sleep and Anxiety Center of Houston (SACH) at the University of Houston. Dr. Alfano's research program integrates several overlapping fields of study including the role of sleep in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders and the development of evidence-based interventions. Her research has been funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DoD), National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Funding Information: There are no conflicts of interest. This research was supported by a grant from the National Aeronautical Science Administration ( NASA ) to Drs. Alfano & Simpson (# NNX15AC13G ) Funding Information: Dr. Richard Simpson is Associate Professor at the University of Arizona, in the Department of Nutritional Sciences, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Immunobiology. His research interests include the effects of exercise and stress on the immune system, particularly in aging, cancer, and spaceflight. His research has been funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Space Biomedical Research Institute. Publisher Copyright: © 2020
Uncontrolled Keywords: affordance perception,astronaut,emotional regulation,perceptuo-motor,aerospace engineering,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2200/2202
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Social Sciences > School of Psychology
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Depositing User: LivePure Connector
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2022 10:30
Last Modified: 14 Nov 2022 00:51
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/89799
DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2020.08.018

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