Hungarian university studying how the human brain adapts to space with help from the ISS
By involving astronauts working on the International Space Station, researchers at the University of Szeged (SZTE) are investigating how the human brain adapts to the conditions of outer space, the university’s Directorate of Communications informed the Hungarian News Agency (MTI) on Saturday.
Studying how astronauts are affected by zero gravity
According to the statement, during long-duration missions astronauts must constantly adapt to new situations, and their success may largely depend on how quickly they are able to learn new information and make decisions.
A key question, however, is how an environment different from that on Earth affects associative learning – the ability to link two different stimuli or events. If this ability is impaired, it could have a direct impact on safety and performance.
The aim of the study, which involves astronauts working on the International Space Station, is to determine how the complete loss of a sensory system – in this case the vestibular system responsible for balance in a weightless environment – affects the cognitive performance of healthy individuals.
Study of University of Szeged involved astronauts who work on the International Space Station
Astronauts participating in the research completed tests both in space and under terrestrial conditions. During the learning tests, researchers first used complex visual stimuli presented in a normal orientation, followed by complex stimuli shown in unusual orientations, and finally simplified visual stimuli.
As part of the project led by Attila Nagy, Associate Professor at the Department of Physiology at the University of Szeged, the tests were also conducted under Earth-based conditions with fifty volunteers prior to the astronauts’ launch. The astronauts then completed the tests on seven occasions aboard the space station, and again on seven occasions after their return to Earth.
The study can change how they prepare for future space trips
Data analysis began in September, and detailed results are expected by the end of the year. One or possibly several scientific publications may be released next year based on the findings. If weightlessness is found not to affect associative learning abilities, these skills could be used effectively during long-term space missions as well.
If, however, a significant loss of function is identified, the findings could enable the development of strategies that can be applied during astronaut training. The work of SZTE researchers may therefore contribute to the creation of training programmes, methods, and even pharmacological or nutritional interventions designed to help astronauts maintain their cognitive abilities while in space.