Division of Sleep and Chronobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2021 Apr 1;130(4):1235-1246. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00865.2020. Epub 2021 Feb 25.
Microgravity and elevated CO levels are two important environmental spaceflight stressors that can adversely affect astronaut cognitive performance and jeopardize mission success. This study investigated the effects of 6° head-down tilt bed rest (HDBR) with ( = 11 participants, 30-day HDBR) and without ( = 8 participants, 60-day HDBR) elevated ambient (3.73 mmHg) CO concentrations on cognitive performance. Participants of both groups performed all 10 tests of NASA's Cognition battery and a brief alertness and mood survey repeatedly before, during, and after the HDBR period. Test scores were adjusted for practice and stimulus set effects. Concentrating on the first 30 days of HDBR, a modest but statistically significant slowing across a range of cognitive domains was found in both groups (controls: -0.37 SD; 95% CI -0.48, -0.27; adjusted < 0.0001; CO: -0.25 SD; 95% CI -0.34, -0.16; adjusted < 0.001), most prominently for sensorimotor speed. These changes were observed early during HDBR and did not further deteriorate or improve with increasing time in HDBR. The study found similar cognitive effects of HDBR irrespective of CO levels, suggesting that elevated CO neither ameliorated nor worsened the HDBR effects. In both groups, cognitive performance after 15 days of recovery was statistically indistinguishable from pre-HDBR performance. However, subjects undergoing 60 days of HDBR rated themselves as feeling more sleepy, tired, physically exhausted, stressed, and unhealthy during recovery compared to their 30-day counterparts. This study investigated the effects of prolonged head-down tilt bed rest with and without elevated (3.73 mmHg) levels of ambient CO on cognitive performance across a range of cognitive domains and is one of the few studies investigating combined effects of environmental stressors prevalent in spaceflight. The study showed moderate declines in cognitive speed induced by head-down tilt bed rest and suggests that exposure to elevated levels of ambient CO did not modify this effect.
微重力和高 CO 水平是两个重要的航天环境应激源,会对宇航员的认知表现产生不利影响,并危及任务的成功。本研究调查了 6°头低位卧床(HDBR)(= 11 名参与者,30 天 HDBR)和无(= 8 名参与者,60 天 HDBR)升高的环境(3.73mmHg)CO 浓度对认知表现的影响。两组参与者在 HDBR 前后反复进行了美国宇航局认知电池的所有 10 项测试以及简短的警觉性和情绪调查。测试成绩针对练习和刺激集效应进行了调整。在 HDBR 的前 30 天,两组参与者在一系列认知领域都出现了适度但具有统计学意义的速度减慢(对照组:-0.37 SD;95%CI-0.48,-0.27;调整后 < 0.0001;CO:-0.25 SD;95%CI-0.34,-0.16;调整后 < 0.001),最明显的是传感器运动速度。这些变化在 HDBR 早期就出现了,并且随着 HDBR 时间的增加并没有进一步恶化或改善。研究发现,HDBR 的认知影响与 CO 水平无关,这表明升高的 CO 既没有减轻也没有加重 HDBR 的影响。在两组中,恢复 15 天后的认知表现与 HDBR 前的表现在统计学上没有区别。然而,与 30 天的参与者相比,接受 60 天 HDBR 的参与者在恢复期间自我报告感觉更困倦、疲倦、身体疲惫、压力大、健康状况不佳。本研究调查了长时间头低位卧床休息(伴有和不伴有升高的(3.73mmHg)环境 CO 水平)对一系列认知领域认知表现的影响,是为数不多的研究环境应激源综合影响的研究之一在航天飞行中普遍存在。该研究表明,头低位卧床休息引起的认知速度中度下降,并表明暴露于升高的环境 CO 水平并未改变这种影响。