TEST OF REACTION AND ADAPTATION CAPABILITIES (TRAC)
Research Area: Cardiovascular and Respiratory System
Expedition(s): 14 and 15
Principal Investigator(s): ● Otmar Bock, PhD, German Sport University,
Cologne, Germany
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Test of Reaction and Adaptation
Capabilities (TRAC) tests the theory
of brain adaptation during
spaceflight by testing hand-eye
coordination before, during, and
after the mission.
EARTH BENEFITS
The results of this investigation
may lead to improved medical
treatments for patients who suffer
from coordination deficits and
neurological disorders.
SPACE BENEFITS
Understanding how the brain
undergoes long-term adaptation to
weightlessness will lead to
improvement in procedures that require precise motor skills.
RESULTS
The TRAC data suggested that this problem is caused by the brain having difficulty
simultaneously processing a number of different challenges. This difficulty is also observed
under conditions of stress. The process of adaptation itself may also introduce an extra neural
“cost” that decreases performance of certain tasks.
PUBLICATION(S)
Bock O, Weigelt C, Bloomberg JJ. Cognitive demand of human sensorimotor performance
during an extended space mission: A dual-task study. Aviation, Space, and Environmental
Medicine. 2010;81(9):819-824. doi: 10.3357/ASEM.2608.2010.
This investigation is complete; however, additional results are pending publication.
ISS014E16213 – Expedition 14 flight engineer Sunita Williams
works with the Test of Reaction and Adaptation Capabilities.