NASA Experiments fulfilled by the Russian cosmonaut in the frames of the annual medical program

Experiment Reaction Self-Test

Objectives:

Carrying out self-testing of reactions by members of annual expedition.

Tasks:

• Estimation of loss of quality level of the reactivity test fulfilment during the 12-months expedition.
• Estimation of fulfilment quality dependance level of the reactivity test performed by astronauts in relation to tiredness and other neurobehavioral reactions in 12-months space flight on the ISS.
• Estimation of fulfilment quality dependance level of the reactivity test performed by astronauts in relation to tiredness related to sleep loss and biorythms' disturbance in the course of 12-month expedition on the ISS.
• To estimate to what extend does the reactivity test performance helps astronauts to define their own working capacity level and the necessity to apply means of fatigue prevention on the ISS.

Used science hardware:

Supplemental and portable computers of the ISS and Reaction Self-Test application programme.

Expected results:

• astronaut supply with the information on his working capacity level (0 - 100%);
• true recording of influence on tiredness, insomnia status, sleep's time shifts and etc.;
• individualized astronauts' means for tiredness control.

Experiment results:

Estimation of tester's working capacity characteristics during the flight:

• psychomotor reactions' rate (reaction time);
• attention failures (mistakes expressed as action skip);
• transition to unnecessary actions (mistakes expressed as breach of the rules);
• actions' readiness stability.