There is increasing interest in the effects of microgravity on cognitive processing, particularly as it relates to the potential for human space travel. While findings to date are quite inconsistent, studies reporting a decrement in cognitive performance have generally not been able to distinguish between the direct influence of microgravity, and any associated influence of stress. Furthermore, the currently available findings are primarily based on behavioral observations, and there is a need to better understand the underlying neurophysiological responses. The current study aimed to determine the effects of microgravity on neurophysiological processing during a mental arithmetic task (executive function). During the normal- and microgravity phases of a parabolic flight, four levels of a mental arithmetic task were presented on a touchscreen tablet. The latency between the appearance of the problem and the participants' response was identified as reaction time. In addition visual evoked potentials N1 and P2 were determined using an active EEG system and analyzed using source localization algorithms. Results showed an increase in reaction time with increasing levels of task difficulty. During the most complex levels, reaction time was significantly reduced during microgravity. This observation was independent of previous parabolic flight experience as well as the use of anti-motion-sickness medication. P2 amplitude decrease during microgravity was concomitant to a related involvement of the superior frontal and medial frontal gyrus. It is concluded that cortical processes are enhanced during microgravity, and that previously reported impairments in cognitive performance are likely attributable to increased stress rather than weightlessness itself.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 3. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 15 December 2015.
All research outputs
#9,889,285
of 28,899,236 outputs
Outputs from Physiology & Behavior
#2,100
of 5,082 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#131,934
of 406,364 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Physiology & Behavior
#25
of 59 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 28,899,236 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 41st percentile – i.e., 41% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 5,082 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 15.7. This one is in the 39th percentile – i.e., 39% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 406,364 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 49th percentile – i.e., 49% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 59 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 55% of its contemporaries.
