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Task Last Updated: 07/13/2009 
Division Name: Human Research 
Program/Discipline: NSBRI 
Element/Subdiscipline: Neurobehavioral and Psychosocial Factors Team 
Project Title: Validation of Assessment Tests and Countermeasures for Detecting and Mitigating Changes in Cognitive Function During Robotics Operations 
Joint Agency Name:  
PI Name: Oman, Charles M.  PI Phone: 617-253-7508  
PI Email: coman@mit.edu  Fax: 617-258-8111 
PI Organization Type: UNIVERSITY 
Organization Name: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
PI Address 1: 77 Massachusetts Avenue 
PI Address 2: Room 37-219 
PI Web Page: http://mvl.mit.edu/  
City: Cambridge State: MA Zip Code: 02139-4301 Congressional District: 8
Comments:  
Project Type: GROUND  Solicitation: NNJ08ZSA002N 
Start Date: 07/01/2009  End Date: 06/30/2013 
Fiscal Year: 2009     
No. of Post Docs:   No. of PhD Degrees:  
No. of PhD Candidates:   No. of Master' Degrees:  
No. of Master's Candidates:   No. of Bachelor's Degrees:  
No. of Bachelor's Candidates:   Monitoring Center: NSBRI 
Contact Monitor:   Contact Phone:  
Contact Email:      
Flight Program:  
Flight Assignment:

 
Key Personnel Changes/Previous PI:  
COI Name: COI Institution:
Lockley, Steven   Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 
Czeisler, Charles   Brigham & Women's Hospital 
Liu, Andrew   Massachusetts Institute of Technology 
Barger, Laura   Brigham and Women's Hospital 
Grant/Contract No.:  
Performance Goal No.:  
Performance Goal Text:

 
Task Description:  To date, the complex robotics operations aboard the shuttle and International Space Station have been successful, but not entirely without incident. The impairment of cognitive abilities, likely due to fatigue, has been identified as a factor leading to errors in performance. In nominal operations, pauses, unnecessary movements and performance inefficiency may reflect cognitive impairment. Preventative countermeasures are necessary to reduce this risk and improve crew safety for current and future robotic operations.

In this project, subjects will be trained to perform simulated robotics tasks under realistic astronaut schedules. Using a within-subjects design, our experiments will investigate how the proposed fatigue countermeasures affect both cognitive and task performance, thereby enabling their relationship to be understood. If this correlation can be established, we will provide more evidence that these assessment tools could be used as indicators of fitness-for-duty.

Specific Aims

1) Characterize the changes in cognitive function during robotic operations that affect performance;

2) Validate proxy cognitive assessment tests such as the Spaceflight Cognitive Assessment Tool for Windows (WinSCAT) or Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) as predictors of performance changes in a complex operational task, and;

3) Test the efficacy of fatigue countermeasures (e.g., light, caffeine, modafinil) to improve cognition during robotic operations.

The project is a collaborative effort between the MIT Man Vehicle Laboratory the Division of Sleep Medicine at Brigham and Womens Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School, the NASA Johnson Space Center Mechanical and Robotics Systems Group, and the NASA Astronaut Office. MIT will develop the simulations of robotics operations and implement the cognitive assessment tests. The BWH/Harvard team will create realistic schedules and environmental conditions to test the impact of countermeasures under these conditions. We will work closely with NASA trainers and astronauts to guide the direction of the research and recreate valid operational scenarios.

 
Research Impact/Earth Benefits: 0

Task Progress: New project for FY2009.

 
Bibliography Type: Description: (Last Updated: 09/16/2009)