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Review
. 2023 May 19:14:1146096.
doi: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1146096. eCollection 2023.

Neuropsychological considerations for long-duration deep spaceflight

Afik Faerman  1 , Jonathan B Clark  2   3 , Jeffrey P Sutton  2   4   5
Affiliations
Review

Neuropsychological considerations for long-duration deep spaceflight

Afik Faerman et al. Front Physiol. .

Abstract

The deep space environment far beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO) introduces multiple and simultaneous risks for the functioning and health of the central nervous system (CNS), which may impair astronauts' performance and wellbeing. As future deep space missions to Mars, moons, or asteroids will also exceed current LEO stay durations and are estimated to require up to 3 years, we review recent evidence with contemporary and historic spaceflight case studies addressing implications for long-duration missions. To highlight the need for specific further investigations, we provide neuropsychological considerations integrating cognitive and motor functions, neuroimaging, neurological biomarkers, behavior changes, and mood and affect to construct a multifactorial profile to explain performance variability, subjective experience, and potential risks. We discuss the importance of adopting a neuropsychological approach to long-duration deep spaceflight (LDDS) missions and draw specific recommendations for future research in space neuropsychology.

Keywords: astronauts; behavioral health; cognition; human performance; human spaceflight; neuropsychology.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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