space medicine. not as we know it. human-computer interaction

Article ID: WMC001749 2046-1690

Space Medicine. Not as we Know it.Human-computer Interaction, Night NursesParalysis and Space TechnologyCorresponding Author:Dr. Simon B Thompson,Associate Professor, Psychology Research Centre, Bournemouth University , BH12 5BB - United Kingdom

Submitting Author:Dr. Simon B Thompson,Associate Professor, Psychology Research Centre , Bournemouth University, BH12 5BB - United Kingdom

Article ID: WMC001749

Article Type: My opinion

Submitted on:11-Mar-2011, 01:59:18 PM GMT Published on: 12-Mar-2011, 01:42:26 PM GMT

Article URL: http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/1749

Subject Categories:ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE

Keywords:European Space Initiative, Human-Computer-Interaction, Monitoring, NASA, Night Nurses Paralysis,Psychology, Space, Space Medicine, Space Technology, Vigilance

How to cite the article:Thompson S B. Space Medicine. Not as we Know it. Human-computer Interaction, NightNurses Paralysis and Space Technology . WebmedCentral ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE2011;2(3):WMC001749

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Ethics approval - Not applicable

Source of funding - None.

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Competing interests - None.

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Space Medicine. Not as we Know it.Human-computer Interaction, Night NursesParalysis and Space TechnologyAuthor(s): Thompson S B

Abstract

Space is still a relatively new science; space medicineis even newer. The use of established knowledge inHuman-Computer Interaction (HCI) fields and inmedicine is invaluable in order to progress further inspace exploration. This is because sophisticatedtechnology requires examination of its use by humansand computers. Vigi lance, monitoring andinterpretation of data are essential skills and need tobe mapped carefully between humans and computersso that accuracy, specificity, reliability and validity ismaintained.

Introduction

The furthest most frontier of space is an excitingconcept for most of us. Reality has also beenencouraging since the NASA space missions in the1960s, followed by the technologically advancedspace station and even further intrusions into spaceaccompanied by spectacular photography of distantplanets and stars and artist’s impressions of previouslyunknown entity (Illustration 1 - Mewhinney, 2010 andIllustration 2 - Hoover, 2011).Our curiosity of space seems limitless despiteretracting finances and halts on space missions.European initiatives have also continued with renewedinterest in human-computer interaction (HCI) projectsthat examine computer-operative vigilance, monitoringand interpretation of new data. HCI has been a branchof science for some time and the blending of scienceand medicine has continued to flourish (Thompson &Coleman, 1988).As space systems become increasingly sophisticated,there is an increasing demand for HCI exploration toensure the deployment of new mission systems andtechnology. The team at the NASA Ames ResearchCenter in the United States has also consideredemploying methods that redress potential cognitivestrain of users (ARC, 2011). As a member of theHuman-Computer Interaction Consortium, they havedesigned a Mixed-Initiative Planning Environmentwhere extensive baseline data from observation of

past missions has provided valuable information forthe designers of future missions and mission systems.Tools of the tradeTollinger and colleagues (2004) know all too well howdifficult it is to determine which tools are useful and theimportance of designing scientifically-sound equipmentfor space. In the design and deployment of acollaborative software tool, designed for the MarsExploration Rovers (MER) 2003 mission, Tollinger andcolleagues (2004) found positive support for groups ofpeople jointly managing collaboratively createdcontent during the design of space technology forNASA missions. Tollinger describes difficultiesencountered amongst personnel during the designprocess. As with individual work on desktop computers,it would seem that collaborative work products onshared virtual “boards” were saved, retrieved andshared. Some of this content became “livingdocuments” and was used on a day-to-day basis bydesigners. However, as the mission progressed, theshared “boards” were not being used in the way thedesigners anticipated; they intended them to be justlike using whiteboards to collaboratively create andannotate images and is not of permanent value.Rather, they consulted and stored images but did notupdate or alter them. A number of HCI researchershave noted in the past the need for improvingelectronic whiteboards (Pedersen, McCall, Moran, &Halasz, 1993), and for using larger displays that actmore like traditional tools such as large semi-publicdisplays (Elrod, Bruce, Gold, Goldberg, Halasz,Janssen, Lee, McCall, Pedersen, Pier, Tang, & Welch,1992; Huang, & Mynatt, 2003) and video interfaces(Tang & Minneman, 1991). In this way, users are seento increase their interaction with the shared displaysthat are perceived to be more shared than sharedcomputer files.Humans and computersApart from sharing information, single-person vigilanceis an important part of human-computer interactionespecially in “real-time” environments and whereoutput must be closely monitored and alteredaccording to need. Examples include air traffic controland the chemical and nuclear industry whereenvironment and flow may require emergencyintervention. This is also of great importance during



space missions particularly when new technology isbeing evaluated remotely.For several decades, the phenomenon of “nightparalysis” has been discussed and observed inconnection with night shift working. Often this isconfused with fatigue or sleep deprivation (Meijman,Thunnissen, & de Vries-Griever, 1990) and parallelshave been drawn with narcolepsy and otherneurological exceptions. However, “night nurses’paralysis” has been observed when wardenvironments were spacious and monitored by asingle nurses’ station at the end of rows of dormitorybeds. Anecdotes have been documented of nursesbeing unable to respond to the matron’s requestsbecause of apparent paralysis due to immobilityinduced by cold or because of remaining motionlessfor long periods of time.In 1969, G de M Rudolf, MRCP, wrote “Night Nurses’Paralysis” (Rudolf, 1969) and a review articleappeared in the British Medical Journal (Stengel,1970). Rudolph describes the condition as a “brieftransient disability of the voluntary muscles, of whichthe patient is fully aware without being able toterminate it.” (Stengel, 1970, p.221). He states that itmay occur at any time of day or night and the personmay be speechless and dazed. Rudolph collecteddetails of this condition for over a quarter of a century.However, it has been difficult to study because thetransience may be of only a few seconds.The British nurse who turned to journalism, the lateClaire Rayner, remembered in a personalcommunication being affected twice, and on bothoccasions the experience was terrifying. She recallsbeing totally unable to move, clutching a pencil in herhand on the table as though she was working(Thompson, 1995). Others have noted the condition inmore modern environments such as in air trafficcontrol personnel particularly in low-lit areas (Folkard& Condon, 1987).Researchers have become concerned that this is acondition that readily affects those who need to bevigilant for long periods at a time, often whenmonitoring tedious, repetitive or monotonous tasks(Thompson, 2002a,b). Some have explained it interms of irregular body rhythms (Healy & Whitehouse,1991); while others recognise that this is simply asymptom of night shift work that needs to be examined(Akerstedt & Knutsson, 1989; Skipper, Jung, & Coffey,1990; Torsvall, Akerstedt, & Gilander, 1989).

Conclusions

Space has received renewed interest and advances in

technology have meant that researchers havere-visited work previously conducted in other areas ofinterest such as in HCI and medicine. New technologyhas brought with it the need to examine HCI in thiscontext, particularly, in real-time environments thatinvolve the need for prolonged vigilance of operatives.Collaborative research is needed in the area of HCIand space medicine in order to best support spaceinitiatives and future space missions worldwide.

References

1.Akerstedt, T., & Knutsson, A., 1989. Shift work as anoccupational health hazard. Stress Research Reports,219, 1-7.2 .ARC – Ames Research Center , 2011.http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/research/technology-onepagers/hc-interaction.html Accessed10.03.2011.3. Elrod, S., Bruce, R., Gold, R., Goldberg, D., Halasz,F., Janssen, W., Lee, D., McCall, K., Pedersen, E.,Pier, K., Tang, J., & Welch, B., 1992. Liveboard: alarge interactive display supporting group meetings,presentations and remote collaboration. Proceedingsof the Association for Computing MachineryComputers CHI’92 Conference on Human Factors inComputing Systems, 599-607.4.Folkard, S., & Condon, R., 1987. Night shift paralysisin air traffic control officers. Presentation to 2nd CECworkhop on Irregular and Abnormal Hours of Work.Ergonomics, 30, 1353-1363.5.Healy, D., & Whitehouse, J. M., 1991. Reactiverhythms and endogenous clocks. Psychologicalmedicine, 21, 557-664.6.Hoover, R., 2011. NASA’s Kepler Mission discoversits first rocky planet. Astrogram, Jan, 1; 3.7.Huang, E. M., & Mynatt, E. D., 2003. Semi-publicdisplays for small, co-located groups. Proceedings ofthe Association for Computing Machinery CHI’2003Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems,v.1, 49-56.8.Meijman, T. F., Thunnissen, M. J., & deVries-Griever, A. G., 1990. The after-effects of aprolonged period of day-sleep on subjective sleepquality. Work stress, 4, 65-70.9.Mewhinney, M., 2010. NASA’s Kepler’s missiondiscovers two planets transiting same star. Astrogram,Sep, 1; 15.10.Pedersen, E. R., McCall, K., Moran, T. P., & Halasz,F. G., 1993. Tivoli: an electronic whiteboard forinformal workgroup meetings. Proceedings of theAssociation for Computing Machinery INTERCHI’93Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems,



391-398.11.Rudolf, G. de M., 1969. Night nurses’ paralysis. Aconscious immobility. Bristol: John Wright.12.Skipper, J. K., Jung, F. D., & Coffey, L. C., 1990.Nurses and shift work – effects on physical health andmental depression. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 15,835-842.13.Stengel, E., 1970. Night nurses’ paralysis. BritishMedical Journal, 1(5690), 221-222.14.Tang, J. & Minneman, S., 1991. Video Draw: avideo interface for collaborative drawing. Proceedingsof Computers and Human Interaction,, 315-322.15.Thompson, S. B. N., 1995. Night nurses’ paralysis.The Lancet, 346, 848.Thompson, S.B.N., 2002a. [Night nurses’paralysis: a new phenomenon in clinicalpsychology?] Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology,10(3), 213.16.Thompson, S. B. N., 2002b. Night nurses’ paralysis:cautionary note for staff in rehabilitation settings.Journal of Cognitive Rehabilitation, Spring, 2-3.17.Thompson, S. B. N., & Coleman, M. J., 1988.Making the therapist's prognosis ofstroke a more scientific process. In B. Glastonbury, W.LaMendola, & S. Toole (Eds), Information technology and the human services(pp.68-75). Chichester: John Wiley.18.Tollinger, I., McCurdy, M., Vera, A. H., & Tollinger,P., 2004. Collaborative knowledge managementsupporting Mars Mission scientists. Association forComputing Machinery, Nov, 1-10. doi: ACM1-58113-810-5/04/0011.19.Torsvall, L., Akerstedt, T., & Gilander, K.,1989.Sleep on the night shift: 24-hr EEG monitoring ofspontaneous sleep/wake behaviour. Psychophysiology,26, 252-258.



Illustrations

Illustration 1

Artist concept of two Saturn-sized planets discovered by NASAs Kepler Mission. Credit to NASA Ames JPL Caltech and Mewhinney2010.



Illustration 2

Artist concept of Kepler-10b. Credit to NASA 2011.



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space medicine. not as we know it. human-computer interaction

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