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At least 19 records

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NASA NTRS1972

Effects of stress upon psychophysiological responses and performance following sleep deprivation

The usefulness of psychological and physiological variables in predicting performance under stress of 48 hours of sleep deprivation was investigated. Performance tests, with subjects of different ego strength personalities, in concept acquisition, reading comprehension, word association, word memory, and anagrams were conducted, and physiological measurements of (1) the phasic and tonic electrodermal, (2) galvanic skin response, (3) thermal skin resistance, (4) heart rate, (5) respiration, and (6) plethysmographic finger pulse volumn were recorded. It was found that the changes in the pattern of performance were the result of testing subjects at times when they would normally be sleeping, and that sleep deprivation longer than 48 hours must be maintained to produce changes in simple or well learned tasks.

Roessler, R.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Sustained attention performance during sleep deprivation: evidence of state instability

Nathaniel Kleitman was the first to observe that sleep deprivation in humans did not eliminate the ability to perform neurobehavioral functions, but it did make it difficult to maintain stable performance for more than a few minutes. To investigate variability in performance as a function of sleep deprivation, n = 13 subjects were tested every 2 hours on a 10-minute, sustained-attention, psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) throughout 88 hours of total sleep deprivation (TSD condition), and compared to a control group of n = 15 subjects who were permitted a 2-hour nap every 12 hours (NAP condition) throughout the 88-hour period. PVT reaction time means and standard deviations increased markedly among subjects and within each individual subject in the TSD condition relative to the NAP condition. TSD subjects also had increasingly greater performance variability as a function of time on task after 18 hours of wakefulness. During sleep deprivation, variability in PVT performance reflected a combination of normal timely responses, errors of omission (i.e., lapses), and errors of commission (i.e., responding when no stimulus was present). Errors of omission and errors of commission were highly intercorrelated across deprivation in the TSD condition (r = 0.85, p = 0.0001), suggesting that performance instability is more likely to include compensatory effort than a lack of motivation. The marked increases in PVT performance variability as sleep loss continued supports the "state instability" hypothesis, which posits that performance during sleep deprivation is increasingly variable due to the influence of sleep initiating mechanisms on the endogenous capacity to maintain attention and alertness, thereby creating an unstable state that fluctuates within seconds and that cannot be characterized as either fully awake or asleep.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS1999

Effects of menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptives on alertness, cognitive performance, and circadian rhythms during sleep deprivation

The influence of menstrual cycle phase and oral contraceptive use on neurobehavioral function and circadian rhythms were studied in healthy young women (n = 25) using a modified constant routine procedure during 24 h of sleep deprivation. Alertness and performance worsened across sleep deprivation and also varied with circadian phase. Entrained circadian rhythms of melatonin and body temperature were evident in women regardless of menstrual phase or oral contraceptive use. No significant difference in melatonin levels, duration, or phase was observed between women in the luteal and follicular phases, whereas oral contraceptives appeared to increase melatonin levels. Temperature levels were higher in the luteal phase and in oral contraceptive users compared to women in the follicular phase. Alertness on the maintenance of wakefulness test and some tests of cognitive performance were poorest for women in the follicular phase especially near the circadian trough of body temperature. These observations suggest that hormonal changes associated with the menstrual cycle and the use of oral contraceptives contribute to changes in nighttime waking neurobehavioral function and temperature level whereas these factors do not appear to affect circadian phase.

NASA Discipline Regulatory Physiology↗

NASA NTRS2012

Assessing Individual Differences in Adaptation to Extreme Environments: A 36-Hour Sleep Deprivation Study

In space, astronauts may experience effects of cumulative sleep loss due to demanding work schedules that can result in cognitive performance impairments, mood state deteriorations, and sleep-wake cycle disruption. Individuals who experience sleep deprivation of six hours beyond normal sleep times experience detrimental changes in their mood and performance states. Hence, the potential for life threatening errors increases exponentially with sleep deprivation. We explored the effects of 36-hours of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance, mood states, and physiological responses to identify which metrics may best predict fatigue induced performance decrements of individuals.

Martinez, Jacqueline↗

NASA NTRS2003

Sleep deprivation influences some but not all processes of supervisory attention

Does one night of sleep deprivation alter processes of supervisory attention in general or only a specific subset of such processes? Twenty college-aged volunteers, half female, performed a choice reaction time task. A cue indicated that compatible (e.g., right button, right-pointing arrow) or incompatible (e.g., left button, right-pointing arrow) responses were to be given to a stimulus that followed 50 or 500 ms later. The paradigm assessed response inhibition, task-shifting skill, and task strategy-processes inherent in supervisory attention. Performance, along with heart rate, was assessed for 12 hr following normal sleep or a night of complete sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation altered neither preparation for task shifting nor response inhibition. The ability to use preparatory bias to speed performance did decrease with sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation appears to selectively affect this supervisory attention process, which is perceived as an active effort to cope with a challenging task.

NASA Discipline Regulatory Physiology↗

NASA NTRS2006

Converging Indicators for Assessing Individual Differences in Adaptation to Extreme Environments: Preliminary Report

This paper describes the development and validation of a new methodology for assessing the deleterious effects of spaceflight on crew health and performance. It is well known that microgravity results in various physiological alterations, e.g., headward fluid shifts which can impede physiological adaptation. Other factors that may affect crew operational efficiency include disruption of sleep-wake cycles, high workload, isolation, confinement, stress and fatigue. From an operational perspective, it is difficult to predict which individuals will be most or least affected in this unique environment given that most astronauts are first-time flyers. During future lunar and Mars missions space crews will include both men and women of multi-national origins, different professional backgrounds, and various states of physical condition. Therefore, new methods or technologies are needed to monitor and predict astronaut performance and health, and to evaluate the effects of various countermeasures on crew during long duration missions. This paper reviews several studies conducted in both laboratory and operational environments with men and women ranging in age between 18 to 50 years. The studies included the following: soldiers performing command and control functions during mobile operations in enclosed armored vehicles; subjects participating in laboratory tests of an anti-motion sickness medication; subjects exposed to chronic hypergravity aboard a centrifuge, and subject responses to 36-hours of sleep deprivation. Physiological measurements, performance metrics, and subjective self-reports were collected in each study. The results demonstrate that multivariate converging indicators provide a significantly more reliable method for assessing environmental effects on performance and health than any single indicator.

Cowings, Patricia S.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Astronauts Need Their Rest Too: Sleep-Wake Actigraphy and Light Exposure During Space Flight

The success and effectiveness of human space flight depends on astronauts' ability to maintain a high level of cognitive performance and vigilance. This alert state ensures the proper operation of sophisticated instrumentation. An important way for humans to remedy fatigue and maintain alertness is to get plenty of rest. Astronauts, however, commonly experience difficulty sleeping while in space. During flight, they may also experience disruption of the body's circadian rhythm - the natural phases the body goes through every day as we oscillate between states of high activity during the waking day and recuperation, rest, and repair during nighttime sleep. Both of these factors are associated with impairment of alertness and performance, which could have important consequences during a mission in space. The human body was designed to sleep at night and be alert and active during the day. We receive these cues from the time of day or amount of light, such as the rising or setting of the sun. However, in the environment of the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station where light levels are highly variable, the characteristics of a 24-hour light/dark cycle are not present to cue the astronauts' bodies about what time of the day it is. Astronauts orbiting Earth see a sunset and sunrise every 90 minutes, sending potentially disruptive signals to the area of the brain that regulates sleep. On STS-107, researchers will measure sleep-wake activity with state-of-the-art technology to quantify how much sleep astronauts obtain in space. Because light is the most powerful time cue to the body's circadian system, individual light exposure patterns of the astronauts will also be monitored to determine if light exposure is associated with sleep disruption. The results of this research could lead to the development of a new treatment for sleep disturbances, enabling crewmembers to avoid the decrements in alertness and performance due to sleep deprivation. What we learn about sleep in space informs treatment for earthbound populations, such as the elderly and insomniacs, who experience frequent sleep disturbances or altered sleep patterns.

Czeisler, Charles↗

NASA NTRS2019

Low-Dose Caffeine Administration During Acute Sleep Deprivation Eliminates Visual Motion Processing Impairment, but Does Not Improve Saccadic Rate

Oculomotor tracking performance changes according to time awake. A constant routine (CR) study demonstrated that increasing time awake 1) reduces the precision of visual motion processing, 2) decreases steady-state closed-loop pursuit performance and 3) decreases peak saccadic velocity. We aimed to determine the contribution of homeostatic sleep pressure on these oculometric changes by administering low-dose caffeine over one night of sleep deprivation. Participants completed two weeks of at-home 8.5 hours sleep per day, followed by an approximately 24-hour laboratory CR in semi-recumbent posture under less than 4 lux of light. The visual tracking task was performed every two hours after waking and hourly overnight. Low-dose caffeine of 0.3 milligrams per kilogram was administered hourly during the biological night. Nine participants (5F) completed the study. Caffeine dosing: 1) prevented the impairment of visual motion processing, 2) reduced by approximately half the impairment of closed-loop pursuit performance (gain, minus 0.47 percent per hour, significance of slope change: p (probability) less than 0.006; proportion smooth, minus 0.35 percent per hour, p less than 0.005), and 3) had an insignificant (p less than 0.39) effect on the impairment of saccadic peak velocity (slope, minus 1.13 percent per hour; intercept, minus 0.62 percent per hour). These results suggest that visual motion processing and some proportion of closed-loop pursuit performance are impaired due to homeostatic mechanisms during sleep deprivation.

Sleep↗

NASA NTRS2020

Characterization of International Space Station Crew Members' Workload Contributing to Fatigue, Sleep Disruption and Circadian De-synchronization

The focus of this paper is to characterize how the International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers’ workload may be contributing to sleep loss, circadian misalignment and fatigue. Both sleep quantity and subjective sleep quality are reduced in ISS crewmembers (Barger, Flynn-Evans, Kubey, Walsh, Ronda, Wang, Wright, & Czeisler, 2014). Evidence indicates that the use of hypnotic drugs does not appear to promote extended sleep duration. Because sleep is often driven by psychosocial as well as somatic attributes, traditional therapies may only partially moderate the problem for some individuals. Accordingly, searching for additional abatement tactics is a sensible plan. Scientific studies have shown that sleep can be disrupted from work-related stressors. On the ISS, to optimize their time, the crewmembers follow prescribed, ambitious and rigorous schedules with shared deadlines. Here it will be argued that these human capital leveraging techniques may be undermining the astronaut’s sleep, which could negatively impact performance. Along with half of the Earth-bound working population (Paoli & Merllié, 2001), ISS crewmembers may not be adequately recovering from their workload. This paper begins with a characterization of the working conditions of ISS crewmembers, describes the development of rigorous schedules and portrays a typical workday. Terrestrially-based research is compiled to describe how full and partial sleep deprivation affect physical and cognitive performance and how ISS work characteristics may disrupt sleep and subsequent performance. The literature points toward potential solutions to astronaut fatigue that is related to their workload. Finally, throughout the text, evidence is provided from semi-structured interviews, biographies and textual databases to support the argument that astronaut workload is contributing to their sleep loss and fatigue and that research, development and mitigation strategies should focus on enhancing the restorative process.

fatigue↗

NASA NTRS2001

Soluble TNF-alpha receptor 1 and IL-6 plasma levels in humans subjected to the sleep deprivation model of spaceflight

BACKGROUND: The extent to which sleep loss may predispose astronauts to a state of altered immunity during extended space travel prompts evaluation with ground-based models. OBJECTIVE: We sought to measure plasma levels of selected cytokines and their receptors, including the putative sleep-regulation proteins soluble TNF-alpha receptor (sTNF-alpha R) I and IL-6, in human subjects undergoing 2 types of sleep deprivation during environmental confinement with performance demands. METHODS: Healthy adult men (n = 42) were randomized to schedules that varied in severity of sleep loss: 4 days (88 hours) of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) involving two 2-hour naps per day or 4 days of total sleep deprivation (TSD). Plasma samples were obtained every 6 hours across 5 days and analyzed by using enzyme-linked immunoassays for sTNF-alpha RI, sTNF-alpha RII, IL-6, soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-10, and TNF-alpha. RESULTS: Interactions between the effects of time and sleep deprivation level were detected for sTNF-alpha RI and IL-6 but not for sTNF-alpha RII, soluble IL-2 receptor, IL-10, and TNF-alpha. Relative to the PSD condition, subjects in the TSD condition had elevated plasma levels of sTNF-alpha RI on day 2 (P =.04), day 3 (P =.01), and across days 2 to 4 of sleep loss (P =.01) and elevated levels of IL-6 on day 4 (P =.04). CONCLUSIONS: Total sleep loss produced significant increases in plasma levels of sTNF-alpha RI and IL-6, messengers that connect the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. These changes appeared to reflect elevations of the homeostatic drive for sleep because they occurred in TSD but not PSD, suggesting that naps may serve as the basis for a countermeasures approach to prolonged spaceflight.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The degree of radiation-induced DNA strand breaks is altered by acute sleep deprivation and psychological stress and is associated with cognitive performance in humans

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Maria Moreno-Villanueva↗

NASA NTRS1999

Acute Total and Chronic Partial Sleep Deprivation: Effects on Neurobehavioral Functions, Waking EEG and Renin-Angiotensin System

Total sleep deprivation leads to decrements in neurobehavioral performance and changes in electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations as well as the incidence of slow eye movements ad detected in the electro-oculogram (EOG) during wakefulness. Although total sleep deprivation is a powerful tool to investigate the association of EEG/EOG and neurobehavioral decrements, sleep loss during space flight is usual only partial. Furthermore exposure to the microgravity environment leads to changes in sodium and volume homeostasis and associated renal and cardio-endocrine responses. Some of these changes can be induced in head down tilt bedrest studies. We integrate research tools and research projects to enhance the fidelity of the simulated conditions of space flight which are characterized by complexity and mutual interactions. The effectiveness of countermeasures and physiologic mechanisms underlying neurobehavioral changes and renal-cardio endocrine changes are investigated in Project 3 of the Human Performance Team and Project 3 of the Cardiovascular Alterations Team respectively. Although the. specific aims of these two projects are very different, they employ very similar research protocols. Thus, both projects investigate the effects of posture/bedrest and sleep deprivation (total or partial) on outcome measures relevant to their specific aims. The main aim of this enhancement grant is to exploit the similarities in research protocols by including the assessment of outcome variables relevant to the Renal-Cardio project in the research protocol of Project 3 of the Human Performance Team and by including the assessment of outcome variables relevant to the Quantitative EEG and Sleep Deprivation Project in the research protocols of Project 3 of the Cardiovascular Alterations team. In particular we will assess Neurobehavioral Function and Waking EEG in the research protocols of the renal-cardio endocrine project and renin-angiotensin and cardiac function in the research protocol of the Quantitative EEG and Waking Neurobehavioral Function project. This will allow us to investigate two additional specific aims: 1) Test the hypothesis that chronic partial sleep deprivation during a 17 day bed rest experiment results in deterioration of neurobehavioral function during waking and increases in EEG power density in the theta frequencies, especially in frontal areas of the brain, as well as the nonREM- REM cycle dependent modulation of heart-rate variability. 2) Test the hypothesis that acute total sleep deprivation modifies the circadian rhythm of the renin-angiotensin system, changes the acute responsiveness of this system to posture beyond what a microgravity environment alone does and affects the nonREM-REM cycle dependent modulation of heart-rate variability.

Dijk, Derk-Jan↗

NASA NTRS2021

Dynamic Ensemble Prediction of Cognitive Performance in Space

Astronauts are exposed to a unique set of stressors in spaceflight. Microgravity, isolation, confinement, and environmental and operational hazards: all of these can impact sleep, vigilant attention, and alertness, which are critical to mission success. In this paper, we seek to understand the most important predictors of alertness over the course of a space mission, using self-reported, cognitive, and environmental data collected from 24 astronauts on 6-month missions to the International Space Station (ISS). Alertness was repeatedly and objectively assessed on the ISS with a brief 3-minute Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) that is highly sensitive to sleep deprivation. To relate PVT performance to time-varying and sparsely-measured environmental, operational, and psychological covariates, we propose a n ensemble prediction model comprising of linear mixed effects regression, random forest, and functional concurrent regression models. An extensive cross-validation procedure reveals that this ensemble outperforms any one of its components alone. We also discover that a participant’s past performance, reported fatigue and stress, and temperature and radiation exposure were among the most important variables associated with alertness. This method is broadly applicable to environmental studies where the main goal is accurate, individualized prediction involving a mixture of person-level traits and irregularly measured time series.

Danni Tu↗

NASA NTRS2000

Awareness during drowsiness: dynamics and electrophysiological correlates

During drowsy periods, performance on tasks requiring continuous attention becomes intermittent. Previously, we have reported that during drowsy periods of intermittent performance, 7 of 10 participants performing an auditory detection task exhibited episodes of non-responding lasting about 18 s (Makeig & Jung, 1996). Further, the time patterns of these episodes were repeated precisely in subsequent sessions. The 18-s cycles were accompanied by counterbalanced power changes within two frequency bands in the vertex EEG (near 4 Hz and circa 40 Hz). In the present experiment, performance patterns and concurrent EEG spectra were examined in four participants performing a continuous visuomotor compensatory tracking task in 15-20 minute bouts during a 42-hour sleep deprivation study. During periods of good performance, participants made compensatory trackball movements about twice per second, attempting to keep a target disk near a central ring. Autocorrelations of time series representing the distance of the target disk from the ring centre showed that during periods of poor performance marked near-18-s cycles in performance again appeared. There were phases of poor or absent performance accompanied by an increase in EEG power that was largest at 3-4 Hz. These studies show that in drowsy humans, opening and closing of the gates of behavioural awareness is marked not by the appearance of (12-14 Hz) sleep spindles, but by prominent EEG amplitude changes in the low theta band. Further, both EEG and behavioural changes during drowsiness often exhibit stereotyped 18-s cycles.

Controlled Clinical Trial↗

NASA NTRS2003

Investigating the interaction between the homeostatic and circadian processes of sleep-wake regulation for the prediction of waking neurobehavioural performance

The two-process model of sleep regulation has been applied successfully to describe, predict, and understand sleep-wake regulation in a variety of experimental protocols such as sleep deprivation and forced desynchrony. A non-linear interaction between the homeostatic and circadian processes was reported when the model was applied to describe alertness and performance data obtained during forced desynchrony. This non-linear interaction could also be due to intrinsic non-linearity in the metrics used to measure alertness and performance, however. Distinguishing these possibilities would be of theoretical interest, but could also have important implications for the design and interpretation of experiments placing sleep at different circadian phases or varying the duration of sleep and/or wakefulness. Although to date no resolution to this controversy has been found, here we show that the issue can be addressed with existing data sets. The interaction between the homeostatic and circadian processes of sleep-wake regulation was investigated using neurobehavioural performance data from a laboratory experiment involving total sleep deprivation. The results provided evidence of an actual non-linear interaction between the homeostatic and circadian processes of sleep-wake regulation for the prediction of waking neurobehavioural performance.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2012

Astronaut Biography Project for Countermeasures of Human Behavior and Performance Risks in Long Duration Space Flights

This final report will summarize research that relates to human behavioral health and performance of astronauts and flight controllers. Literature reviews, data archival analyses, and ground-based analog studies that center around the risk of human space flight are being used to help mitigate human behavior and performance risks from long duration space flights. A qualitative analysis of an astronaut autobiography was completed. An analysis was also conducted on exercise countermeasure publications to show the positive affects of exercise on the risks targeted in this study. The three main risks targeted in this study are risks of behavioral and psychiatric disorders, risks of performance errors due to poor team performance, cohesion, and composition, and risks of performance errors due to sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm. These three risks focus on psychological and physiological aspects of astronauts who venture out into space on long duration space missions. The purpose of this research is to target these risks in order to help quantify, identify, and mature countermeasures and technologies required in preventing or mitigating adverse outcomes from exposure to the spaceflight environment

Banks, Akeem↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space Transport and Fatigue

Space travel presents numerous challenges to fatigue management. Fatigue in space results from many of the same challenges that shiftworkers face on Earth, including inadequate sleep, circadian misalignment, and elevated workload. However, spaceflight also presents unique challenges including circadian misalignment due to non-24- hour light-dark cycles, erratic work schedules due to operational constraints, a microgravity sleep environment, constraints to habitat design, and an isolated and confined living environment. These challenges can be mitigated with fatigue management strategies and countermeasures specifically targeted for space travel. Those strategies can include light interventions, advanced scheduling tools, improved habitat design, and pharmacological countermeasures. What is needed is a future-facing approach to most effectively manage the challenges that may arise as advancements in space travel continue to develop at a rapid pace.

sleep deprivation and performance↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space Transport and Fatigue

sleep deprivation and performance↗