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Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities (TRAC)
07.17.09

Overview | Description | Applications | Operations | Results | Publications | Images

Experiment/Payload Overview

Brief Summary

Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities (TRAC) will test the theory of brain adaptation during spaceflight by testing hand-eye coordination before, during and after the mission. This experiment is a collaborative effort between NASA and the Canadian Space Agency.

Principal Investigator

  • Otmar Bock, Ph.D., German Sport University, Cologne, Germany

    • Co-Investigator(s)/Collaborator(s)

  • Cornelia Weigelt, Ph.D., German Sport University, Cologne, Germany
  • Barry Fowler, Ph.D., York University, North York, Ontario, Canada
  • Jacob Bloomberg, Ph.D., Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

    • Payload Developer

    Canadian Space Agency, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Sponsoring Agency

    Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

    Expeditions Assigned

    |14|15|

    Previous ISS Missions

    ISS Expedition 14 is the first mission for TRAC.

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    Experiment/Payload Description

    Research Summary

    • TRAC will test the idea that the decrease in motor skills, that has been reported by some astronauts (for example, hand-eye coordination) is due to the brain adapting to being in space.


    • By testing hand/eye coordination of the ISS crew, scientists hope to test the theory that while the brain is adapting to space, that it is unable to provide the resources necessary to perform normal motor skills.

    Description

    The Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities (TRAC) experiment will evaluate the theory that the decline of manual skills during spaceflight is a result of sensory-motor adaptation. The data that are collected will be used to provide evidence that the brain undergoes adaptive reorganization in microgravity which consumes resources that will be used for computational tasks leaving few resources for activities involving motor skills.

    To test the theory of adaptation, the crewmember will test their hand-eye coordination prior to the mission, while in orbit and then again when the mission has concluded and they have returned to Earth. The Earth tests will provide the baseline for the on-orbit tests. The tests will be conducted in seven sessions occurring in one week intervals toward the end of the Increment.

    The hardware that will be used includes a laptop computer that is mounted to a table and a joystick to control the cursor on the computer screen. Additionally, they will use audio headphones and a reaction time box to respond to audio and visual stimuli. The crewmember will be seated and secured to the floor of the US Lab module. The table will sit on the crewmember's legs when the test is performed.

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    Applications

    Space Applications

    Understanding how the brain adapts from zero-g to 1-g will lead to improvement in procedures that require precise motor skills.

    Earth Applications

    The finds of this investigation may lead to improved medical treatments for patient who suffer from coordination deficits and neurological disorders on Earth.

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    Operations

    Operational Requirements

    Measurement will take place in the US Lab section of the ISS. The crew will be seated on the floor, restrained using a PERS strap around the waist. For the measurements, the crew will need a laptop, joystick, reaction time box, and headphones.

    There will be seven sessions involving three ISS crewmembers. The sessions will occur in one week intervals towards the end of the Expedition. The crewmembers should not participate in physical exercise within 20 minutes of the start of each session.

    Operational Protocols

    ISS crewmembers will test their hand-eye coordination by using a computer program. The crewmembers will be secured to the floor of the US Lab module when the table with the TRAC hardware will be placed over their legs. For the test, the crewmember will use a joystick, attached to a laptop, to control a cursor that is displayed on the laptop screen. There will also be a reaction time box that will be used to measure the response to audio and visual cues.

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    Results/More Information

    Information Pending

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    Related Web Sites
  • CSA: Science

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    Publications

    Results Publications

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      Related Publications
      • Eversheim U, Bock O. Evidence for processing stages in skill acquisition: A dual-task study. Learning & Memory. ;8:183-189. 2001
      • J?ngling S, Bock O, Girgenrath M. Speed-accuracy trade-off of grasping movements during weightlessness. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. ;73:430-435. 2002
      • Bock O. Components of sensorimotor adaptation in young and elderly subjects. Experimental Brain Research. ;160:259-263. 2005
      • Bock O, Abeele S, Eversheim U. Sensorimotor performance and computational demand during short-term exposure to microgravity. Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine. ;74:1256-1262. 2003

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      Images

      imageDemonstration of the TRAC hardware and how the crew member will be anchored for the TRAC investigation on ISS.
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      imageNASA Image: ISS014E11056 - Expedition 14 Commander Mike Lopez-Alegria performs his first session of TRAC. TRAC uses testing of hand-eye coordination to determine how the brain adapts to microgravity.
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      imageNASA Image: ISS014E11051 - Russian Cosmonaut and Flight Engineer Mikhail Tyurin is seen here performing a TRAC session during Expedition 14.
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      imageNASA Image: ISS014E16213 - Astronaut Suni Williams, Expedition 14 Flight Engineer, works with the Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities (TRAC) experiment in the Destiny laboratory of the International Space Station. The TRAC investigation will test the theory of brain adaptation during space flight by testing hand-eye coordination before, during and after the space flight.
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      Information Provided and Updated by the ISS Program Scientist's Office
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