Challenges for cognitive research in spaceflight and analog environments

Cognition research in spaceflight and analog environments has grown significantly over the last two decades. Although there is evidence that human cognition undergoes changes in many areas, results are inconsistent overall, and several cognitive functions are still underexplored. Besides the inherent methodological limitations of human investigations in these environments, a major flaw in current research concerns the exiguity of systematic investigations of theory-relevant effects. In the present work, an overview of topics and issues in cognitive research in spaceflight and analog environments is provided, organized by cognitive domains, highlighting gaps and challenges. These issues put in the picture the necessary steps for advancing current knowledge in the field and developing an overarching framework that would make countermeasure development a theory-based process.