Extended time in space is not exactly harmless to the human body. Radiation, altered gravity, sleep loss, can all take their toll on astronauts. Some are even hospitalized upon their return to Earth. Minor mistakes in space can have devastating consequences, so it is important to know how these stresses can impact an astronaut’s cognitive performance.
A [study published] in the journal Frontiers in Physiology followed 25 astronauts in Low Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station (ISS). A team from NASA tested a wide range of cognitive tasks to investigate how these challenges impact cognitive performance and, fortunately, did not see much of an impact. However, their responses were still a bit slower than they would have been on Earth.
“We show that there is no evidence of any significant cognitive impairment or neurodegenerative decline in astronauts spending six months on the ISS,” Sheena Dev, a study co-author and clinical neuropsychologist at NASA’s Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory said in a statement. “Living and working in space was not associated with widespread cognitive impairment that would be suggestive of significant brain damage.”
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