Neurobehavioral Changes Following Spaceflight Stressors

Summary

This study aims to investigate the impairing effects of known central nervous system (CNS) stressors in a controlled environment in order to predict and mitigate analogous risks in spaceflight. Up to 56 healthy individuals aged 25-60 will spend approx. 110 hours in a laboratory, where they will be exposed to 27 hours of sleep deprivation and will consume alcohol to reach a BAC of 0.08 on a separate day. They will perform cognitive and sensorimotor tasks and undergo MRIs and blood draws.

Conditions

• Stressor, Individual
• Alcohol Impairment
• Sleep Deprivation
• Impairment, Cognitive

Interventions

OTHER

Alcohol Administration

For the alcohol administration condition (ALC), subjects will consume alcohol within a window of approximately fifteen minutes in the morning in order to induce a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.08%, in the form of 80-proof vodka mixed with fruit juice or clear, noncaffeinated soda at a 1:3 ratio. The specific dosage is determined by the Widmark formula, factoring in each individual's body weight and sex. BAC will be measured by a NHTSA-approved evidential breath testing (EBT) device, which measures breath alcohol content (BrAC, in grams per 210 liters of breath) and converts it to BAC (in g/100ml or g/dl). BAC will be measured before and after every task until subjects go to bed at 11 PM, at which point their BAC is expected to be at or close to 0.00%. Subjects will undergo an MRI (shortly after alcohol consumption at what is anticipated to be their highest level of intoxication to capture the impairing effects) and two blood draws (in the morning and afternoon).

BEHAVIORAL

Sleep Deprivation

For the sleep deprivation condition (SD1\&2), subjects will remain awake for 27 hours from 8 AM until 11 AM the following morning (SD1). They will perform testing at regular intervals throughout the day and overnight, and they have two blood draws during the extended wake period. Subjects will undergo an MRI after approximately 25 hours of wakefulness, followed by a three-hour nap opportunity from 11 AM until 2 PM. They will then remain awake from 2 PM until 11 PM for testing and meals before returning to the standard sleep period of 11 PM to 8 AM (SD2). Caffeine will not be available to subjects during this period nor will it be available at any other time during the study.

OTHER

Control

During the control condition (CTRL), subjects will have no stressor intervention. They will not consume alcohol and they will sleep during the standard period of 11 PM to 8 AM. They will perform testing at regular intervals throughout the day. They will undergo an MRI in the morning, and have two blood draws (in the morning and afternoon).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

  collaborator FED

• University of Florida

  collaborator OTHER

• Cornell University/Weill Cornell Medical Center

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

  collaborator FED

• University of Nevada, Las Vegas

  collaborator OTHER

• Loma Linda University

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Pennsylvania

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Mathias Basner, MD, PhD, MScEpi · University of Pennsylvania

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

SINGLE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

25 Years

Max Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-06-30

Primary Completion

2029-12-31

Completion

2029-12-31