Effects of isolation and confinement on humans-implications for manned space explorations

Pagel, Judith-Irina; Choukèr, Alexander

doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00928.2015

Cited by 113 publications

(89 citation statements)

References 57 publications

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“…It has been established that crew members participating in such terrestrial missions also shed latent herpesviruses 41. Similarly, better controlled laboratory simulations of spaceflight confinement, such as a recent Russian 500-day Mars simulation, have also been found to re-create immune dysregulation, which shares some aspects of flight-associated dysregulation 42. We suggest monitoring strategies and countermeasures developed to assess and prevent incidence in astronauts may facilitate the reduction of illness on Earth.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Incidence of clinical symptoms during long-duration orbital spaceflight

Crucian¹,

Babiak-Vazquez²,

Johnston³

et al. 2016

IJGM

162

132

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BackgroundThe environment of spaceflight may elevate an astronaut’s clinical risk for specific diseases. The purpose of this study was to derive, as accurately as currently possible, an assessment of in-flight clinical “incidence” data, based on observed clinical symptoms in astronauts on board the International Space Station (ISS).MethodsElectronic medical records were examined from 46 long-duration ISS crew members, each serving approximately a 6-month mission on board the ISS, constituting 20.57 total flight years. Incidence for immunological-related adverse health events or relevant clinical symptoms was tabulated in a non-identifiable fashion. Event categories included infectious diseases, allergies, and rashes/hypersensitivities. A subsequent re-evaluation of more notable events, either of prolonged duration or unresponsive to treatment, was performed.ResultsFor the disease/symptom categories used in this evaluation, the ISS incidence rate was 3.40 events per flight year. Skin rashes were the most reported event (1.12/flight year) followed by upper respiratory symptoms (0.97/flight year) and various other (non-respiratory) infectious processes. During flight, 46% of crew members reported an event deemed “notable”. Among the notable events, 40% were classified as rashes/hypersensitivities. Characterization of on-orbit rashes manifested as redness with irritation, and could present on a variety of body locations.ConclusionBased on reported symptoms, astronauts experience adverse medical events of varying severity during long-duration spaceflights. The data suggests caution, from both a vehicle design and biomedical countermeasures perspective, as space agencies plan for prolonged deep space exploration missions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 85%

Incidence of clinical symptoms during long-duration orbital spaceflight

Crucian¹,

Babiak-Vazquez²,

Johnston³

et al. 2016

IJGM

162

132

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…It has been demonstrated that this inhospitable environment represents also a suitable and standardized Earthbound analogue to mimic some factors like monotonous surroundings, repetitive daily routine and confinement, and its possible resulting psycho-social stress that humans are subjected to during long-term spaceflights [1][2][3]. General findings in respective studies describe hormonal changes due to an altered biological rhythm [4] which directly affects sleep pattern and quality [5][6][7] as well as psycho-social behavior [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex differences in stress and immune responses during confinement in Antarctica

Strewe¹,

Moser²,

Buchheim³

et al. 2019

Biol Sex Differ

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Background: Antarctica challenges human explorers by its extreme environment. The effects of these unique conditions on the human physiology need to be understood to best mitigate health problems in Antarctic expedition crews. Moreover, Antarctica is an adequate Earth-bound analogue for long-term space missions. To date, its effects on human physiology have been studied mainly in male cohorts though more female expeditioners and applicants in astronaut training programs are selected. Therefore, the identification of sex differences in stress and immune reactions are becoming an even more essential aim to provide a more individualized risk management. Methods: Ten female and 16 male subjects participated in three 1-year expeditions to the German Antarctic Research Station Neumayer III. Blood, saliva, and urine samples were taken 1-2 months prior to departure, subsequently every month during their expedition, and 3-4 months after return from Antarctica. Analyses included cortisol, catecholamine and endocannabinoid measurements; psychological evaluation; differential blood count; and recall antigen-and mitogen-stimulated cytokine profiles. Results: Cortisol showed significantly higher concentrations in females than males during winter whereas no enhanced psychological stress was detected in both sexes. Catecholamine excretion was higher in males than females but never showed significant increases compared to baseline. Endocannabinoids and N-acylethanolamides increased significantly in both sexes and stayed consistently elevated during the confinement. Cytokine profiles after in vitro stimulation revealed no sex differences but resulted in significant time-dependent changes. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were significantly higher in males than females, and hemoglobin increased significantly in both sexes compared to baseline. Platelet counts were significantly higher in females than males. Leukocytes and granulocyte concentrations increased during confinement with a dip for both sexes in winter whereas lymphocytes were significantly elevated in both sexes during the confinement. Conclusions: The extreme environment of Antarctica seems to trigger some distinct stress and immune responses but-with the exception of cortisol and blood cell counts-without any major relevant sex-specific differences. Stated sex differences were shown to be independent of enhanced psychological stress and seem to be related to the environmental conditions. However, sources and consequences of these sex differences have to be further elucidated.

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“…A review by Pagel and Chouker outlined that isolation can impact cognitive performances, stress levels and psychological strain (37). Our questionnaire was designed to assess psychological strain during the isolation period at the Concordia station.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrophysiological measures of sleep pressure during wakefulness in the course of isolation at the Concordia Antarctica station and physical activity as a countermeasure

Petit

Abeln

Summerer

et al. 2019

Preprint

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18Concordia station in Antarctica is one of the most remote human outpost on Earth. Because of 19 its geographical location, a winterover at Concordia shares a lot of stressors with a space mission. 20 Following a recent study on the markers of sleep pressure during wakefulness on board of the 21 International Space Station, we were investigating if long term isolation in a space analogue station 22 shows similar effects on sleep pressure. Unlike in space, markers of sleep pressure did not increase 23 during isolation's constant darkness period in Antarctica. When measures of sleep pressure were 24 high in the evening, psychological strain was increased, emphasising the importance of keeping sleep 25 pressure under physiological levels during the mission. As a first indication for a countermeasure, 26 we showed that one hour of bicycle exercise during lunch time could decrease sleep pressure. All 27 these observations need to be further studied in a more controlled environment. 28 Keywords 29Sleep pressure, wake electroencephalographic recordings, Antarctica space analogue station, long 30 term isolation, psychological strain, space countermeasure, physical activity 31 32 Sleep quality and sleep quantity are regulated by two interacting process, the homeostatic and 33 the circadian process (1): i) The homeostatic process builds up with time awake. Good sleep 34 quality is defined by an efficient dissipation of sleep pressure overnight which in turn decreases the 35 propensity to fall asleep and improve alertness the following day (2; 3). ii) The circadian process is 36 oscillating on a 24 hours cycle (4). The master clock is regulated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus 37 and constantly adjusted by environmental cues (5). Daylight is one of the main cues to the master 38 clock. Circadian rhythms exert a strong impact on sleep quality and sleep timing (6). Interestingly, 39 EEG theta activity (5-7Hz) in the waking EEG (1) reflects both the homeostatic and the circadian 40 process. The circadian impact can be seen by diurnal fluctuations of theta activity, peaking in the 41 afternoon and again at bed time (7). The homeostatic component, on the other hand, becomes 42 obvious after prolonged wakefulness (i.e. sleep deprivation), which is associated with a significant 43 increase in theta power. (8; 9; 10; 11; 12). 44Astronauts are subject to very irregular schedules and workloads (e.g. launchings or dockings of 45 a vehicule) and while orbiting Earth, the International Space Station (ISS) crew witness a sun 46 rise every 90 minutes which can lead to a misalignment of their 24-hour sleep-wake cycle (13). 47Accordingly, chronic sleep restriction has been reported during space missions (14). We recently 48 provided first evidence for increased of sleep pressure markers during wakefulness in space, i.e 49 measured waking EEG in the theta frequency range, and showed that reaction times were slower 50 when markers of sleep pressure were high (15). To understand the cause of changes in markers of 51 sleep pressure i...

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Effects of isolation and confinement on humans-implications for manned space explorations

Cited by 113 publications

References 57 publications

Incidence of clinical symptoms during long-duration orbital spaceflight

Incidence of clinical symptoms during long-duration orbital spaceflight

Sex differences in stress and immune responses during confinement in Antarctica

Electrophysiological measures of sleep pressure during wakefulness in the course of isolation at the Concordia Antarctica station and physical activity as a countermeasure

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