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Bed rest and cognition: effects on executive functioning and reaction time.

Darren M Lipnicki¹, Hanns-Christian Gunga, Daniel L Belavý

¹Center for Space Medicine Berlin, Charité Medical University Berlin, Berlin, Germany. darrenlipnicki@hotmail.com

Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine

|December 24, 2009

Summary

Prolonged bed rest impairs executive functions, particularly decision-making and reaction time. This study highlights potential cognitive risks for space exploration and sedentary lifestyles.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Human Physiology

Background:

Executive functions, crucial for cognition, depend on the prefrontal cortex.
Aerobic physical activity enhances prefrontal cortex activity and executive function.
Prolonged weightlessness (bed rest) may negatively impact executive functions.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of 60-day head-down bed rest on executive functions.
To assess cognitive performance changes in healthy males under simulated weightlessness.

Main Methods:

Twenty-four healthy males participated in the 60-day head-down bed rest study.
Executive function tasks (Iowa Gambling Task, working memory, flanker) and reaction time were tested before, during, and after bed rest.

Main Results:

Iowa Gambling Task performance significantly declined during bed rest.
Reaction time slowed post-bed rest, with reduced variability suggesting altered processing.
Working memory and flanker task results were less conclusive, possibly due to practice effects.

Conclusions:

Bed rest appears to have a detrimental effect on executive functioning.
The precise cause (lack of physical activity or prefrontal cortex changes) requires further investigation.
Findings have implications for astronaut health during space missions and for individuals with sedentary lifestyles.