Extreme Environment Effects on Cognitive Functions: A Longitudinal Study in High Altitude in Antarctica. 2016

Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
Environmental Adaptation and Space Research Group, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of SciencesBudapest, Hungary; Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Debrecen UniversityDebrecen, Hungary.

This paper focuses on the impact of long-term Antarctic conditions on cognitive processes. Behavioral responses and event-related potentials were recorded during an auditory distraction task and an attention network paradigm. Participants were members of the over-wintering crew at Concordia Antarctic Research Station. Due to the reduced partial pressure of oxygen this environment caused moderate hypoxia. Beyond the hypoxia, the fluctuation of sunshine duration, isolation and confinement were the main stress factors of this environment. We compared 6 measurement periods completed during the campaign. Behavioral responses and N1/MMN (mismatch negativity), N1, N2, P3, RON (reorientation negativity) event-related potential components have been analyzed. Reaction time decreased in both tasks in response to repeated testing during the course of mission. The alerting effect increased, the inhibition effect decreased and the orienting effect did not change in the ANT task. Contrary to our expectations the N2, P3, RON components related to the attentional functions did not show any significant changes. Changes attributable to early stages of information processing were observed in the ANT task (N1 component) but not in the distraction task (N1/MMN). The reaction time decrements and the N1 amplitude reduction in ANT task could be attributed to sustained effect of practice. We conclude that the Antarctic conditions had no negative impacts on cognitive activity despite the presence of numerous stressors.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries

Related Publications

Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
January 2022, Frontiers in aging neuroscience,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
July 1997, Stress medicine,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
October 2021, Medical journal, Armed Forces India,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
December 1976, The Journal of laryngology and otology,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
September 2014, Wilderness & environmental medicine,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
January 2021, Frontiers in physiology,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
February 2002, Zhongguo ying yong sheng li xue za zhi = Zhongguo yingyong shenglixue zazhi = Chinese journal of applied physiology,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
November 1976, U. S. Navy medicine,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
June 1985, JPMA. The Journal of the Pakistan Medical Association,
Irén Barkaszi, and Endre Takács, and István Czigler, and László Balázs
January 2014, BioMed research international,
Copied contents to your clipboard!