INTRODUCTION: Facial expression perception is the process by which someone can interpret the emotion of another individual using their facial cues. Below-average scores on tests designed to measure facial expression recognition (FER) accuracies are associated with inappropriate behavioral responses and are often linked to mental or neurological disorders. Head-down bed rest microgravity analog studies show changes in facial emotion processing that may indicate a behavioral health risk during spaceflight. METHODS: During short-duration space analog missions at two separate facilities, 15 subjects took daily FER tests before, during, and after the mission. Each test was accompanied by questionnaires measuring either potential causal or impacted variables: stress, depression, loneliness, irritability, risk-taking, empathy, and intrinsic motivation. RESULTS: Analysis of variance and post hoc t -tests showed that during the mission, the subjects were less likely to identify angry, sad, or fearful faces as disgusted compared to the baseline. Also, interest/enjoyment and perceived competence increased throughout the mission lifecycle. Multiple regression analyses were able to account for greater than 20% of the variance for depression and health/safety risk-taking using the FER data. DISCUSSION: Changes in FER during space mission simulations show that perception changes are not limited to microgravity analogs. A perceptual change was observed during the short-duration missions, but there is not sufficient evidence to show behavioral health impacts. However, associations between FER and the questionnaires show a potential to develop predictive models, countermeasures, or psychological monitoring tools using FER. Additional research is required to determine the efficacy of such tools during long-duration spaceflight. Van Hoy S. Facial expression perception and psychological changes during space analogs . Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(12):913–918.

Scott Van Hoy

Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance

同行评审的月刊《航空航天医学和人类绩效》（AMHP），前身为航空、航天和环境医学，提供与从事基础医学研究和临床应用工作的医生、生命科学家、生物工程师和医学专家的联系。它是该领域中使用和引用最多的期刊。它被分发到80多个国家。

Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance is a peer-reviewed monthly journal, formerly known as Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine. It serves as a platform for communication among physicians, life scientists, biomedical engineers, and medical experts engaged in basic medical research and clinical applications. It is one of the most widely used and cited journals in the field, distributed in over 80 countries.

《航空航天医学和人类绩效》（Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance）是一本经过同行评审的月刊，前身为《航空、航天和环境医学》。该期刊旨在为从事基础医学研究和临床应用的医生、生命科学家、生物工程师及医学专家提供一个交流的平台。它是该领域中引用和使用最广泛的期刊之一，已在80多个国家进行分发。

Category	Quartile
医学	4
医学, 生物物理	4
医学, 医学研究与实验	4
医学, 公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生	4

Facial Expression Perception and Psychological Changes During Space Analogs

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Journal Info

Category	Quartile
PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH	4