Cognitive Training as a Countermeasure for Cognitive Changes During a Space Mission

Among the psychological countermeasures developed to reduce the effects of a space flight on astronauts’ performance, cognitive training is the most promising. The aim of this short communication is to provide an overview of the current evidence on the use of cognitive training in space research, and evaluate its potential benefits. The few available findings coming from Earth-based simulations and space flights highlight that cognition-based countermeasures led to greater performance benefits when compared with control conditions. Although further studies are needed to evaluate the general impact of cognitive training on astronauts’ performance (e.g., short-term and long-term transfer effects), the use of cognitive interventions should be warranted in future space missions.