Cognitive Performance and Neuromapping

Abstract

The spaceflight environment exposes crew members to a host of environmental and psychological stressors that can negatively affect cognitive performance. Over the past half century of human spaceflight, scientific focus has shifted from the acute neurophysiological adaptation to microgravity exposure toward long-term cognitive functioning of astronauts in response to the multi-stress environment of the upcoming exploration class missions. In this chapter, we will review the findings of spaceflight-related changes in cognition. We discuss the methods used to detect such changes and the ongoing efforts to identify underlying brain regions in both space and analog environments. We also examine the implications of cognitive impairment and challenges for future exploration missions, and what countermeasures could be implemented to maintain optimal cognitive performance in space.