Spatial Updating Depends on Gravity

Stahn, Alexander; Riemer, Martin; Wolbers, Thomas; Werner, Anika; Brauns, Katharina; Besnard, S.; Denise, Pierre; Kühn, Simone; Gunga, Hanns‐Christian

doi:10.3389/fncir.2020.00020

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…Parabolic flight maneuvers provide a unique opportunity to assess the acute effects of hyper- and hypogravity on cognitive performance. Stahn et al (2020) and others have shown that spatial cognition is significantly impaired during altered gravity conditions ( Grabherr et al, 2007 ; Grabherr and Mast, 2010 ; Clément et al, 2016 ). It is unclear to what extend these effects are also observed for other cognitive domains as previous studies have also reported improvements in tasks targeting executive functions ( Wollseiffen et al, 2016 , 2019 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The vestibular system is the sensor of terrestrial gravity by its otolithic component and plays a key role in the cortical calibration of visual and somesthetic information related to spatial orientation ( Cullen, 2012 ). The otolithic responses of the vestibular organ are inhibited in weightlessness ( Probst et al, 1996 ; Reschke et al, 2018 ) and spatial abilities are impaired during hyper- and hypogravity ( Mittelstaedt and Glasauer, 1993a , b ; Grabherr and Mast, 2010 ; Stahn et al, 2020 ). This notion is also supported by a recent functional imaging study, reporting decreases of intrinsic connectivity within the right temporoparietal junction in first-time flyers after parabolic flight ( Van Ombergen et al, 2017 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evidence from spaceflight research has also reported that weightlessness led to altered spatial cognition abilities (Paloski et al, 2008;Cheron et al, 2014), and impaired sensorymotor integration and control (Casellato et al, 2012;Hallgren et al, 2016;Reschke et al, 2017). Likewise, Stahn et al (2020) and others have shown that spatial cognition is significantly impaired during altered gravity conditions (Grabherr et al, 2007;Grabherr and Mast, 2010;Clément et al, 2016). In contrast to these studies, Wollseiffen and colleagues reported faster reaction times for a complex mental arithmetic task (Wollseiffen et al, 2016) as well as in combination with an oddball task paradigm (Wollseiffen et al, 2019) in microgravity during parabolic flight.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impaired Attentional Processing During Parabolic Flight

et al. 2021

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Previous studies suggest that altered gravity levels during parabolic flight maneuvers affect spatial updating. Little is known about the impact of the experimental setting and psychological stressors associated with parabolic flight experiments on attentional processes. To address this gap, we investigated the level of alertness, selective and sustained attention in 1 and 0 g using a Go/No-Go Continuous Performance Task. We also identified several parameters associated with the experimental set-up of a parabolic flight that could be expected to affect attentional processing. These included the use of scopolamine, sleep quality prior to the flight day, participant’s stress level as well as mood and anxiety state before and after the parabolic flight. We observed a deterioration in attentional processing prior to the first parabola that was further aggravated in weightlessness and returned to baseline after the last parabola. Reaction Time, Hit and False Alarm Rate were moderately correlated with self-reported anxiety state, but not cortisol levels or emotional states. The use of scopolamine had minor effects on Reaction Time. Our results confirm previous studies reporting impairments of cognitive performance in 0 g, and highlight important aspects that should be considered for the design of behavioral research experiments in future parabolic flight campaigns.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impaired Attentional Processing During Parabolic Flight

et al. 2021

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“…The battery has been tested in various spaceflight analogs on Earth. Experiments performed during parabolic flight maneuvers have shown that spatial updating is sensitive to gravitational changes, including micro- and hyper-gravity (Stahn et al 2020 ). Recently, Spatial Cognition was selected as part of NASA’s CIPHER 1 project.…”

Section: Need To Monitor Visuospatial Abilities Before During and After Spaceflightmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brains in space: the importance of understanding the impact of long-duration spaceflight on spatial cognition and its neural circuitry

Stahn

Kühn

2021

Cogn Process

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Fifty years after the first humans stepped on the Moon, space faring nations have entered a new era of space exploration. NASA’s reference mission to Mars is expected to comprise 1100 days. Deep space exploratory class missions could even span decades. They will be the most challenging and dangerous expeditions in the history of human spaceflight and will expose crew members to unprecedented health and performance risks. The development of adverse cognitive or behavioral conditions and psychiatric disorders during those missions is considered a critical and unmitigated risk factor. Here, we argue that spatial cognition, i.e., the ability to encode representations about self-to-object relations and integrate this information into a spatial map of the environment, and their neural bases will be highly vulnerable during those expeditions. Empirical evidence from animal studies shows that social isolation, immobilization, and altered gravity can have profound effects on brain plasticity associated with spatial navigation. We provide examples from historic spaceflight missions, spaceflight analogs, and extreme environments suggesting that spatial cognition and its neural circuitry could be impaired during long-duration spaceflight, and identify recommendations and future steps to mitigate these risks.

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“…More than half of cosmonauts returning from long flights have structural and/or functional changes in the brain accompanied by a decrease in sensorimotor characteristics and visual acuity (McIntyre and Lipshits, 2008;Grabherr and Mast, 2010;Basner et al, 2021). The ophthalmic problems developing in cosmonauts are called neuroocular syndrome associated with space flight (Laurie et al, 2019;Marshall-Goebel et al, 2019;Roberts et al, 2020;Stahn et al, 2020;Basner et al, 2021). One of the main factors affecting its development is microgravity.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensitivity of Visual System in 5-Day “Dry” Immersion With High-Frequency Electromyostimulation

Shoshina

Zelenskaya

Karpinskaia

et al. 2021

Front. Neural Circuits

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The aim of this work was to study the sensitivity of the visual system in 5-day “dry” immersion with a course of high-frequency electromyostimulation (HFEMS) and without it. “Dry” immersion (DI) is one of the most effective models of microgravity. DI reproduces three basic effects of weightlessness: physical inactivity, support withdrawal and elimination of the vertical vascular gradient. The “dry” immersion included in the use of special waterproof and highly elastic fabric on of immersion in a liquid similar in density to the tissues of the human body. The sensitivity of the visual system was assessed by measuring contrast sensitivity and magnitude of the Müller-Lyer illusion. The visual contrast sensitivity was measured in the spatial frequency range from 0.4 to 10.0 cycles/degree. The strength of visual illusion was assessed by means of motor response using “tracking.” Measurements were carried out before the start of immersion, on the 1st, 3rd, 5th days of DI, and after its completion. Under conditions of “dry” immersion without HFEMS, upon the transition from gravity to microgravity conditions (BG and DI1) we observed significant differences in contrast sensitivity in the low spatial frequency range, whereas in the experiment with HFEMS—in the medium spatial frequency range. In the experiment without HFEMS, the Müller-Lyer illusion in microgravity conditions was absent, while in the experiment using HFEMS it was significantly above zero at all stages. Thus, we obtained only limited evidence in favor of the hypothesis of a possible compensating effect of HFEMS on changes in visual sensitivity upon the transition from gravity to microgravity conditions and vice versa. The study is a pilot and requires further research on the effect of HFEMS on visual sensitivity.

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Spatial Updating Depends on Gravity

Cited by 15 publications

References 40 publications

Impaired Attentional Processing During Parabolic Flight

Impaired Attentional Processing During Parabolic Flight

Brains in space: the importance of understanding the impact of long-duration spaceflight on spatial cognition and its neural circuitry

Sensitivity of Visual System in 5-Day “Dry” Immersion With High-Frequency Electromyostimulation

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