sPACeMAN – Assessing Neurocognitive Performance and Electrocortical Activity Across Diverse Gravity Levels Using a Gamification Approach

It is essential that astronauts maintain optimal cognitive function in order to successfully complete critical tasks in demanding environments. However, stress can impair executive functions and decision-making, which may ultimately affect mission success. Training and establishing routines can help ensure efficiency and may free up cognitive resources to handle unforeseen challenges effectively. To evaluate workload management in a demanding dual-task the study investigated behavioural data (Reaction Time and Error Rate), as well as neurophysiological parameters (event-related potentials and electrocortical activity) in Earth gravity, hypergravity and weightlessness in 25 consecutive parabolas through a parabolic flight. The data demonstrated no significant changes in electrocortical activity and reaction time between the different gravity levels. However, a notable increase in error rate was observed in microgravity when compared to hyper- and normal gravity. Electrophysiological data revealed a pronounced N1-P2 complex, indicating perceptual processing of the sound of the Oddball paradigm. The typical fronto-central N200 component was triggered by both sounds of the Oddball paradigm, although no differences were observed between the gravity levels. The similarity of the ERP responses to both oddball paradigm tones suggests that most cognitive resources were allocated to the primary task, with reduced discrimination of auditory stimuli. Furthermore, the presence of the N200 component, interpreted as mismatch negativity (MMN), indicates automatic neural responses to auditory deviations that are independent of cognitive load. This has important implications for astronauts performing complex tasks during space missions, where understanding cognitive workload and task prioritization is essential for mission success and safety. Further research is needed to explore cognitive workload management in such demanding environments.