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Altered sleep spindles and slow waves during space shuttle missions
Dominik P Koller1, Vida Kasanin2, Erin E Flynn-Evans3
1Advanced Concepts Team, European Space Agency, ESTEC, Noordwijk, The Netherlands. dominik.koller@charite.de.
NPJ Microgravity
|November 19, 2021
Summary
Astronaut sleep shows altered brain wave patterns in space. Sleep spindle density increased, slow spindle frequency rose, and slow wave amplitude decreased, impacting sleep quality during space missions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Space Medicine
- Sleep Science
Background:
- Sleep deficiencies are prevalent in astronauts, affecting performance.
- Previous research focused on global sleep measures, neglecting sleep oscillations.
- The impact of spaceflight on specific sleep oscillations is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how spaceflight affects sleep spindles and slow waves.
- To analyze electrophysiological changes in astronaut sleep during missions.
- To provide a finer-scale understanding of sleep in microgravity.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of sleep spindles and slow waves in four astronauts.
- Data collected before, during, and after two Space Shuttle missions.
- Comparison of sleep oscillation characteristics in space versus on Earth.
Main Results:
- Significantly increased fast spindle density observed in space.
- Elevated slow spindle frequency noted during spaceflight.
- Decreased slow wave amplitude detected in space compared to Earth.
Conclusions:
- Spaceflight alters the fine electrophysiological structure of sleep.
- Observed changes in sleep oscillations may impact sleep quality and quantity.
- Further research into spaceflight sleep is warranted based on these findings.
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