Structured Review: Psychosocial Stress During Long-Term Stays in Space

Sasahara, Shinichiro; Oi, Yuichi; Doki, Shotaro; Hori, Daisuke; Ohtaki, Yuh; Andrea, Christina-Sylvia; Takahashi, Tsukasa; Shiraki, Nagisa; Ikeda, Yu; Ikeda, Takuma; Izumi, Ryutaro; Saito, Tamaki; Matsuzaki, Ichiyo

doi:10.2322/tastj.18.180

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“…The second confinement study was the “Experimental Campaign for European Manned Space Infrastructure” (EXEMSI) in 1992, with three men and a woman being isolated for 60 days [ 65 ]. In 1994, the duration of the isolation experiment was prolonged to 135 days in the “Human Behavior Study” (HUBES), and up to 240 days in the “Simulation of the Flight of the International crew on Space Station” (SFINCSS) [ 66 ]. In 2009 the Mars105 project was carried out, followed in 2011 by the Mars500, exposing six crewmembers to 105 or 520 days of isolation and confinement, respectively; Mars520 turned out to be the longest isolation experiment in history [ 24 , 67 ].…”

Section: Social Isolation and Cardiovascular Autonomic Control Altera...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Isolation: A Narrative Review on the Dangerous Liaison between the Autonomic Nervous System and Inflammation

Scatà

Carandina

Torre

et al. 2023

Life

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Social isolation and feelings of loneliness are related to higher mortality and morbidity. Evidence from studies conducted during space missions, in space analogs, and during the COVID-19 pandemic underline the possible role of the autonomic nervous system in mediating this relation. Indeed, the activation of the sympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system enhances the cardiovascular response and activates the transcription of pro-inflammatory genes, which leads to a stimulation of inflammatory activation. This response is adaptive in the short term, in that it allows one to cope with a situation perceived as a threat, but in the long term it has detrimental effects on mental and physical health, leading to mood deflection and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, as well as imbalances in immune system activation. The aim of this narrative review is to present the contributions from space studies and insights from the lockdown period on the relationship between social isolation and autonomic nervous system activation, focusing on cardiovascular impairment and immune imbalance. Knowing the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this relationship is important as it enables us to structure effective countermeasures for the new challenges that lie ahead: the lengthening of space missions and Mars exploration, the specter of future pandemics, and the aging of the population.

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