EFFECTS OF LONG-DURATION MICROGRAVITY ON FINE MOTOR SKILLS ... Previous studies of motor skills in microgravity have mostly focused on gross ...
EFFECTS OF LONG-DURATION MICROGRAVITY ON FINE MOTOR SKILLS K. Holden1, A. Sandor1, E. V. Cross II1, and M. Greene2 1
Lockheed Martin; 2LZ Technology, Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Mail Code SF3, Houston, TX 77058
Future long-duration crewmembers will depend on fine motor skills to complete their computer-based mission objectives. Previous studies of motor skills in microgravity have mostly focused on gross motor ability and/or have had inconclusive results. Most spaceflight missions during which motor control data were collected lasted fewer than 21 days. On the basis of research results and crew debriefs, the early phase of adaptation to microgravity is hypothesized to happen during the first 30 days of being in a microgravity environment, and middle and late adaptation phases should happen by the end of the fourth month. In studies that collected data beyond 21 days, data collection was very sparse, revealing little about performance changes in the middle and late adaptation phases. In addition, none of these studies tested fine motor skills specific to touchscreen interactions. By collecting data before flight, frequently during the first 3 months onboard, more sparingly after that until the end of the mission, and close to and after landing, this investigation aims to provide a rich dataset of fine motor skill performance over longduration spaceflight and across gravitational transitions. A fine motor skills test battery was developed, consisting of the following tasks: (a) multidirectional pointing task, in which participants tap targets of different sizes arranged in a circle; (b) dragging task, in which a target is dragged from one position to another; (c) shape-tracing task, in which a square and a circle are traced; and (d) pinch-rotate task, in which a square is resized and rotated using the thumb and index finger to align with an object presented on the screen. During a session, participants perform each of the tasks multiple times using their finger and a stylus (except in the pinch-rotate task). The fine motor skills test battery software captures response time as well as the number and types of errors made. The test battery is administered on an iPad 3 with a clear, protective screen cover. A custom-made, adjustable handhold is attached before the test begins, to provide a standard position for performing the task and to minimize non-task-related touches to the screen. The study is in progress with two 1-year flight participants, and an additional six standard-duration (6-month) participants are planned. A ground participant is matched to one of the 1-year International Space Station crewmembers. Data analysis for all tasks is in progress and is in different stages of completion. A high-level subset of the data will be shown during the presentation. A video overview of the Effects of Long Duration Microgravity on Fine Motor Skills Project is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZAcBOf6nnE&feature=youtu.be
