This viewgraph presentation reviews the performance errors associated with sleep loss, fatigue and psychomotor factors during manned space flight. Short and long term behavioral health factors are also addresse

Leveton, Lauren B.

NASA Technical Reports Server

1NASA
Human Research Program 
Behavioral Health and Performance
Program Element
May 11, 2009
Lauren B. Leveton, Ph.D.
Element Manager
https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20090020365 2019-08-30T07:00:30+00:00Z
Requirements
Development
Operations
Lessons learned!
Verification
Were requirements
met?
Design
Hands-on 
architectural
involvement
Requirements 
Integration
Negotiating project 
buy-in
Human/System Integration Process
Research
How can we do
better?
Performance 
Errors
Performance effects
Long term health effects
Short term health effects
Risk of Performance Errors 
Due to Poor Team Cohesion 
and Performance, 
Inadequate Selection/Team 
Composition, Inadequate 
Training, and Poor 
Psychosocial Adaptation
Risk of 
Performance Errors 
due to Sleep Loss, 
Fatigue, Circadian 
Desynchronization, 
and Work Overload
Risk of 
Behavioral and 
Psychiatric 
Conditions
4… and, as Research views Ops 
As Ops views Research…
5Source Average Hours of Sleep Missions
Subjects
(N) Measurement Tool
Dijk et al., 2002 6.5 STS-90, STS-95 5 PSG, Actigraphy
Kelly et al., 2005 6.0 STS-89 4 Sleep Logs
Monk et al., 1998 6.1 STS-78 4 Sleep Physiology
Gundel et al., 1997 6.1 Mir 4 Sleep Physiology
Santy et al., 1988 6.0 STS Missions 58 Post-flight debrief
Frost et al., 1976 5.8 Skylab 3 Physiology
Evidence:
Space - Based
Ground studies have shown that minor sleep deprivation (no sleep in the past 18 hours) lead to impaired 
cognitive and motor performance, comparable to impairments seen in those with .05% - .1% blood 
alcohol levels (Williamson and Feyer, 2000; Dawson and Reid, 1997; Arnedt et al., 2001)
Individuals may not be aware of their 
performance deficits from inadequate 
recovery sleep. Laboratory and field studies 
have found this to be the case (Dinges et al. 
1999; Van Dongen et al., 2003; Belenky et al. 
2003; Dinges et al., 2005; as cited in Leveton 
and Dinges, 2006)
Being very impaired after chronic sleep 
restriction was perceived as only mild fatigue
Evidence – Ground-based:  Performance Decrements
Evidence: Performance Decrements
Preliminary findings from Actiwatch Protocol / Sleep –
Wake Flight Study indicate that individual vulnerabilities 
and different mission characteristics (e.g., noise, 
temperature) contribute to variability in data (Barger and 
Czeisler, preliminary unpublished data, 2008)
Some astronauts need less sleep and/or may 
be more resistant to the effects of sleep loss 
on brain functions. Laboratory and field 
studies have found this to be the case for 
10%-30% of people when sleep loss is mild 
to moderate (Van Dongen et al., 2004, 
2005; LeProult et al., 2003; Caldwell et al., 
2005)—evidence level 1.
People can differ greatly in performance deficits 
from sleep loss, but not perceive it.
Evidence: Long-Term Health Outcomes
A wide range of serious long-term health consequences are associated with chronic, or cumulative, 
sleep loss:
• hypertension
• diabetes
• obesity
• heart attack
• stroke
• psychiatric disorders such as depression or severe anxiety. 
9Cultural Issues:
“To understand sleep – wake activity, let’s study Gyroscopes on the Station”
10
3/31/09 DRAFT – Pre-Decisional 11
Research Design
& Development OperationsEvaluation & Validation
The Transition Process:
- applies best practices for space exploration
- evaluates the effectiveness and operational readiness of human system  
health and performance-related research deliverables
- supports the Agency’s human spaceflight programs
Research Deliverables
Transition to Medical Operations
for Medical Requirements
3/31/09 DRAFT – Pre-Decisional 12
Research Design
& Development OperationsEvaluation & Validation
1                                              2                          3                 4/5TM
P
6                  7                      8                     9CR
L
/T
R
L
1. Description of the deliverable or product (detailed description, intended use, how it 
addresses a human system risk)
2. Data required to demonstrate efficacy, effectiveness, or utility of deliverable
3. Data required to demonstrate operational validation of the deliverable
4. Implementation plan describing specific use or application (e.g., protocol, regimen)
5. Analysis of mission resources required for implementation (e.g., crew time, power, 
mass, volume, etc.)
Transition to Operations Steps
CRL 1-3:  Hypothesis formulation, validation; CRL 4-5: Concept  formulation, proof of feasibility; 
CRL 6: Lab testing, efficacy; CRL 7: Integrated testing of cm in analog/simulated environment; 
CRL 8: Validation in spaceflight  to demonstrate efficacy and operational feasibility; 
CRL 9: CM fully flight tested, ready for operational implementation
13
Informs Countermeasure Development
-Does sleep loss continue on long duration missions, 
or is there adaptation? 
-How is performance affected?
-How can individual vulnerabilities to sleep loss best 
be determined? 
-What are the best tools to monitor and assess 
decrements due to fatigue, sleep loss, and other 
spaceflight factors? 
2014
Mission Operations 
Requirements Def
Medical OperationsConstellation/ISS
Actigraphy 
Protocol:
-Sleep Diary
-Actiwatch
-Terrestrial and 
on-orbit sleep-
wake activity
Transition to O
ps
Inform
s G
aps
SLEEP RISK
Research Gaps:
14
Gap: What are the best tools to monitor and assess decrements 
due to fatigue, sleep loss, and other spaceflight factors?
Psychomotor Vigilance Test
-extensively validated with 
pilots, physicians, shift workers
NEEMO Missions:
•Feasibility with astronauts
•Norms on astronauts
•Sensitivity to fatigue, etc.
Obtained 
normative data 
from NEEMO 
crewmembers
Developed 3-minute 
PVT Self Test 
interface feedback 
combined with 
performance 
algorithm
Evaluate PVT SelfTest 
interface with 
astronauts who 
helped develop tests 
norms and with 
comparable 
individuals in analog 
environments
ISS Study
2014
Mission Operations 
Requirements Def
Medical OperationsConstellation/ISS
Transition to O
ps
15
Gap: How can light be used in flight as a 
countermeasure?
Evidence shows that light serves as an effective 
countermeasure for circadian entrainment, alertness
Operational regimen for
Using light as 
countermeasure
Mission Operations 
Requirements Def
Constellation/ISS Requirements for 
Lunar Lander
2012
Characteristics of Light 
2014
Medical Operations
Acute, mid and long 
term effects
Ops
Constellation
16
Gap: What are the best individual dosing requirements/protocols for 
Sleep and alertness medications during spaceflight? 
(1) Determine best individual dosages
(2) Assess carry-over effects upon abrupt premature 
termination of sleep (to simulate an emergency situation)
(3) Transition the data and protocol as best practices for 
medical operations
2014
Constellation Medical Operations
2012
17
3/31/09
Research Design & Dev OperationsEvaluation and Validation
1                                              2                          3                 4/5TM
P
6                  7                      8                     9CR
L
/T
R
L
a) Actigraphy Protocol
b) PVT Self Test
c) Blue Light Solid State Light Module (SSLM)
d) Individualized Sleep Medication Protocol 
BHP Research Deliverables
Transition to Medical Practices
ac d b
18


NASA Human Research Program: Behavioral Health and Performance Program Element

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