New NASA-backed research investigates the effects of microgravity on cognitive activity. The results showed that the cognitive speed of these people slowed down and it was difficult to recognize the feelings of others.
The Mars expedition can last at least 3 years. Brain structure effect The missions that bring humans to Mars are considered to be a major leap in space exploration. NASA has a goal of sending people to Mars by 2030. However, a trip to Mars is not the same as taking a flight to New York. Because space is an extremely harsh environment for human life, including the lack of gravity and harmful radiation, as well as isolation and lack of day or night. Missions to Mars will require more astronauts physically and mentally than man-made journeys in 60 years of space exploration. A flight to Mars and back will take about 14 months. Meanwhile, the actual exploration mission will last at least 3 years. Maintaining good cognition and effective teamwork are the prerequisites for the safe and successful outcomes of these tasks. However, a new study published in the journal Frontiers of Physiology found that the lack of gravity during such missions can have negative effects on cognitive skills, as well as emotions. of the astronauts. Since the first space missions, it is clear that exposure to a “microgravity” (weightless) environment leads to drastic changes in the human body. This includes changes in the cardiovascular, skeletal and nervous systems. On Earth, we discover gravity with the aid of our eyesight and various organs, including those in the inner ear. When our heads are upright, the hearing stones in the vestibular system are perfectly balanced by a viscous liquid. However, as we move the head, gravity causes the liquid to move with it. This activates signals to the brain that our heads have changed positions. In space, this process is no longer active. Space flight can even bring about adverse changes to the brain structure of astronauts. Changes in brain structure were observed in astronauts after they returned from the International Space Station (ISS). The scientists found that in these astronauts, the brain physically moves inside the skull and reduces the ability to connect between regions of the brain layer, the cortex and the inner regions. Emotional perception is extremely important to astronauts. Difficulty recognizing other people’s feelings The acumen and quick thinking of astronauts are essential elements in a space mission. So is the ability to accurately “read” each other’s emotional expressions. Because, they have to spend a lot of time sitting together in a small space. Therefore, it is recommended that space agencies consider training, as well as psychological support for astronauts before the flight, to minimize this risk. To date, how these changes affect behavior is not concretely understood. However, scientists are getting closer to the answer. Because, they realize, astronauts can be disoriented, disturbed perception, balance disorders and motion sickness. However, such findings are often made based on a small group of people. New NASA-backed research has explored the effect of microgravity on cognitive performance. However, 24 study participants were not sent to space. Instead, the scientists asked these people to lie in bed. This is because the effect of a certain type of bed rest is similar to that of microgravity. Therefore, scientists have repeatedly applied this method in research. When we are upright, the body and hearing stones in the vestibular system are in the same direction as gravity. Meanwhile, the moment of lying down, the body and hearing stones are perpendicular to each other. Therefore, study participants had to lie on their back at an angle of 6 degrees, their head lower than their body. They were asked not to change their position for almost two months. At the same time, the participants also routinely perform a series of cognitive missions designed for astronauts and related to space flight. As a result, it helps to evaluate their spatial orientation, memory, risk-taking behavior and understanding of their feelings about others. The results showed that the cognitive speed of these people slowed a bit but remained reliable in tasks related to sensory and motor skills. This seems to be consistent with reported changes in brain tissue density across “motor sensory regions”. These are the main motor and sensory regions of the brain, helping to process sensory input and movement, observed after a person has flown into space. Participants also had difficulty recognizing emotions when looking at people’s faces. Adjusting to changes in gravity takes time and effort. While performance on most cognitive tasks initially decreased, after about 60 days, the participants remained unchanged throughout the test. However, their ability to perceive emotions continued to deteriorate. In fact, the participants became inclined toward negative emotions. They are more likely to recognize another person’s expression as angry and have a hard time explaining how happy or normal the other person is.
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