This study assesses differences in biological and behavioral domains that relate to individual adaptation and resiliency to an isolated, confined and controlled environment, and evaluates the effect of confinement, work, monotony, and social and physical isolation on stress resiliency and well-being.
The goal of this study is to obtain novel information that will be used to help identify individuals who are resilient to the stressors of prolonged human spaceflight, thereby encouraging the successful completion of exploration missions and the preservation of health over the life of an astronaut. This study leverages the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) heuristic framework to conduct experimental studies to identify biological domains (molecular, circuitry, physiology) and behavioral domains that relate to individual adaptation and resiliency (as well as behavioral vulnerability) in spaceflight-relevant confined environments. This study focuses specifically on differences among participants in their tolerance of and adaptability to simulated conditions of spaceflight such as confinement, work, monotony, and social/physical isolation that impact behavioral health and performance.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NA
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
32
Subjects will spend 8 days/7 nights continuously in an isolated and confined unit with up to 3 other subjects. Subjects will participate in daily, timed activities such as space-relevant computer simulations, team tasks, and cognitive performance testing. Subjects will also experience altered environmental conditions (such as changes in lighting, sound and ambient temperature) while in the isolation unit. Subjects will receive orders from "mission control" who will monitor activity in the isolation unit and direct subjects throughout the 8-day study.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Resilience
Change in Resilience
Time frame: Days 1 and 8
Stress
Percent change in salivary cortisol
Time frame: Days 1-8
Biomarker-Response to Stress
Percent change in Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor
Time frame: Days 2, 4, 6, 8
Brain Structure
Change in brain structure using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Time frame: Days 1 and 8
Brain Function
Change in brain function using MRI
Time frame: Days 1 and 8
Cognitive Performance
Change in reaction time and accuracy using a computer-based test battery
Time frame: Days 2-8
Sleep Timing and Duration
Continuous actigraphy recordings
Time frame: Days 1-8
Heart Rate Monitoring
24 h ECG data will be collected to derive heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) measures as a peripheral index of vagal balance.
Time frame: Days 2, 4, 6, 8
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