The purpose of this task is to investigate the effects of the elevate CO2 environment in a controlled analog setting with existing available measures to understand potential behavioral and performance effects that may result. This will help to characterize the risk of the elevated CO2 environment on cognition and sleep.

Aim1: Determine if and to what degree the impaired cognitive function and performance impacts seen in previous studies with acute exposure to CO2 can be replicated in an astronaut-like population.

Aim 2: Determine, by use of the Cognition battery of psychometric measures, if CO2, at or below operationally relevant concentrations, affects cognitive functions of astronaut-like subjects.

This task also informs the Sensorimotor discipline area: SM 2.1

ANSIBLE – A Network of Social Interactions for Bilateral Life Enhancement, is a communication and social support toolset which enables multi-faceted human-human and human-virtual agent interactions designed to accommodate technical and environmental limitations of long duration space flight.

The aims of the proposed project are to:
Aim #1: Customize the Virtual Space Station program for use by astronauts by evaluating the program in an isolated environment (i.e., Antarctica) and collecting detailed information on program use, including user choices, ease of navigation, usability and acceptability.
Aim #2: Modify the existing VSS program to add enhanced conflict resolution content and an integrated behavioral health assessment.
Aim #3: Enhance the VSS program to include a mood enhancement system that allows users to experience immersive relaxing situations using virtual reality.

The aim of this task is to characterize the construct of workload (i.e., workload resulting from the number and difficulty of tasks rather than within task workload), by conducting an operational assessment and a literature review of workload in spaceflight, to 1) bring together what is known already about workload (and work overload, work underload), on ISS, and conduct qualitative analysis from existing crew debriefs; 2) Define the role of this construct as a risk factor; 3) determine relevant mitigation strategies for future missions, where applicable; 4) determine where more knowledge may be needed, and define specific questions that could be asked of crews during or post ISS missions to fill in knowledge gaps (the intent is to not ask overly generic questions or questions that have already been addressed through other efforts), as well as additional research efforts needed, if applicable.

Aim 1: Assess the degree to which likely biomedical countermeasures can mitigate the known effects of space radiation on cognitive neurobehavioral functions relevant to astronaut mission performance.

Aim 2: Assess the mechanisms of action of effective radioprotective countermeasures on the CNS.

The task consists of an evidence review of the published literature on the topics of cognitive biases, logical fallacies, and the reduction of cognitive dissonance with a focus on work in high-stakes environments such as medical care, military operations, and aircraft operations; and in the evidence for interventions such as training and education to reduce the errors caused by these factors. Additionally the task includes operational assessment interviews with up to ten subject matter experts at NASA or relevant analog environments to determine the state of practice and need within the NASA environment.

1. To determine the short-term effects of 56Fe radiation irradiation on hippocampal function and assess whether these effects are sex-dependent. Mice will be irradiated at 0, 0.1, 0.2, or 0.5 Gy and behaviorally tested 1-2 weeks following radiation.
2. To determine whether the severity of the cognitive effects are associated with reduced choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) immunoreactive cell bodies in the medial septum and nucleus basalis and ChAT immunoreactive fibers in the hippocampus and cortex. Following behavioral testing, ChAT cell number and fiber density will be determined using immunohistochemistry and measures of ROS by western blot.
3. To determine the ability of the dietary supplement lipoic acid (LA) to antagonize the effects of 56Fe irradiation on hippocampus-dependent cognitive function, measures of ROS, and ChAT immunoreactive cell bodies in the medial septum and nucleus basalis and ChAT immunoreactive fibers in the hippocampus and cortex. Mice will be sham-irradiated or irradiated at a dose causing maximal cognitive injury in Aim 1 and receive regular diet or LA-containing diet starting one week prior to behavioral testing. Brains will be processed as in Aim 2.

The specific aims of the project are to:

(1) Develop software to create software-generated (SG) exercise partners and interface with exercise equipment similar to what is available on the International Space Station (i.e., cycle ergometer) (CRL-4).  An aerobic stationary cycle exergame that integrates the SG exercise partner will also be developed as part of in this effort.  SG partner features will be tested with an astronaut focus group.

(2) Test various design features of the SG partner within designed exercise games to determine the most effective features for enhancing motivation to exercise, enjoyment, confidence, and connectedness (CRL-5).  Test subjects will be analogous to current astronauts in terms of fitness levels.

(3) Test whether exercising with an SG partner over 24-week time period, compared to exercising alone, leads to better aerobic capacity and muscle strength, adherence to the exercise regimen, and enhanced enjoyment in the activity, self-efficacy, and sense of social connectedness (CRL-6).  Test subjects will be analogous to current astronauts in terms of fitness levels.



This NSBRI NRA is a collaborative study with implications for both BHP and HHC. It is collaborative in that it relates physical exercise for maintaining musculoskeletal health in spaceflight to the exercise experience and how to motivate individuals to be compliant with exercise regimens.

This task also informs the Sensorimotr discipline area: SM 28

Long-duration, exploration-class missions (LDEM) present new training challenges, as these missions significantly differ from our past exploration experience. We cannot predict all the tasks crewmembers may be required to perform during such missions, and thus cannot design pre-flight training to address tasks about which we do not yet know. This lack of knowledge requires a shift from task-based training typical of past and current space missions to skill-based training that focuses on the long-term retention and generalization of pre-flight training to transfer to new and unexpected onboard operations. However, we do not know the characteristics of skills and knowledge that lead to better retention, generalization, and transfer nor do we know the best training principles that support retention, generalization, and transfer.

1. Identify characteristics of skills and knowledge that lead to better retention, generalization, and transfer. (i.e. identify what enables learners to apply trained skills and knowledge to new tasks.)

2. Identify training practices that support retention, generalization, and transfer, such as integrated training in the operational context.

These results will help close the gap on generalizable skills by identifying characteristics of skills and training practices that support training retention, generalization, and transfer.

1. To further characterize HZE particle-induced behavioral and neurochemical deficits
2. To determine the neural mechanisms underlying the changes in performance
3. To determine how individual characteristics (age and gender) may influence the responsiveness to HZE particle irradiation

1. In our first aim we will endeavor to use a sufficient dose range in order to compare outcomes with the physiologic and pathologic endpoints established in our current data using gamma radiation.
2. In our second aim, we will use specific inhibitors of cyclooxygenase-2 to determine if prostaglandins play a key role in the neuroinflammatory response to HZE particles.

Methods and tools (i.e., iSHORT, iQ&A) were developed and used to collect near real-time human factors and habitability data during spaceflight missions. Having a means to collect near real-time data reduces reliance on human memory and has the ability to capture small issues that may have a cumulative effect. These issues may result in crew frustration and inefficiencies. This study had two aims.
 
Aim 1: Using near-time reporting, characterize human factors and habitability aboard the ISS, which includes self-reported negative, neutral, and positive observations and assessments.

Aim 2:  Preliminarily characterize crew utilization and perceptions of specific ISS habitat components/locations.

These efforts resulted in recommendations for future vehicle design, as well as proposed changes to NASA standards.

The task consists of an evidence review of the published literature on mindfulness, other relaxative techniques, and recreational activities and their role in promoting mental health and the prevention of cognitive or behavioral symptomology in populations in high-stress environments with an emphasis on populations and environments that are analogous to spaceflight. Additionally the task includes operational assessment interviews with up to ten subject matter experts at NASA or relevant analog environments to determine the state of practice in this area and need for additional work within the NASA environment.

The intent of this task is to evaluate sleep data from the largest, most systematic assessment of sleep in space (Barger et al., 2014), relative to performance outcomes in space, such as cognitive performance and operational performance (if accessible).

1. One aspect this proposal will focus on is how radiation leads to the types of changes in the brain that might lead to impaired cognition. Much of our past work has demonstrated that the sensitive populations of neural stem and precursors cells that are important to cognitive health exhibit long-lasting chemical changes caused by prior radiation exposure. These changes have been linked to many of the adverse effects found in the brain after irradiation, and our present study will continue to identify the pathways that are activated by irradiation that cause these long-term and adverse chemical changes.
2. Another aspect of our proposal relates to the rate at which cells are exposed to the radiation. A given dose of total radiation can be given over short or long time frames; if that exposure time is short then the rate is higher that if that dose is delivered over longer periods of time. Much of our past data of space radiation effects in the brain have been done under conditions of high dose rate, largely due to a number of practical limitations. In space however, most dose rates are low, and because the response of cells might differ, studies are needed to determine how cells respond to the types of radiation in space when delivered at low dose rates. Our current proposal will compare the types of changes found in neural precursor cells at low dose rate to those changes found previously at high dose rate. Results from these studies will be critical in enhancing our knowledge base of the risks associated with exposure of the brain to the radiation fields in space.

1. Create a countermeasure tool that will be used to help crewmembers when interpersonal conflict arises.

2.  Test countermeasure in ground studies (possibly through randomized clinical trials)

The present proposal addresses this need via the application of an animal model to determine:

1. The long-term effects of radiation exposure on cognitive neurobehavioral function and the dopamine neurotransmitter system; and
2. The effectiveness of flaxseed dietary supplementation to mitigate the neurobehavioral and neurochemical effects of radiation exposure.
3. To determine DAergic and inflammatory protein levels in radiation-induced, neurobehaviorally impaired Fischer and Lewis rats and in radio-protectant-treated flaxseed rats.
4. To assess functional changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission following head-only proton radiation using well-characterized dopamine receptor-mediated behaviors (i.e., DA agonist-induced yawning and hypothermia)