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Comparison of Postural Recovery Following Short and Long Duration SpaceflightsINTRODUCTION: Post-flight postural ataxia reflects adaptive changes to vestibulo-spinal reflexes and control strategies adopted for movement in weightlessness. Quantitative measures obtained during computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) from US and Russian programs provide insight into the effect of spaceflight duration in terms of both the initial decrements and recovery of postural stability. METHODS: CDP was obtained on 117 crewmembers following Shuttle flights lasting 4-17 days, and on 64 crewmembers following long-duration missions lasting 48-380 days. Although the number and timing of sessions varied, the goal was to characterize postural recovery pooling similar measures from different research and flight medicine programs. This report focuses on eyes closed, head erect conditions with either a fixed or sway-referenced base of support. A smaller subset of subjects repeated the sway-referenced condition while making pitch head movements (+/- 20deg at 0.33Hz). Equilibrium scores were derived from peak-to-peak anterior-posterior sway. Fall probability was modeled using Bayesian statistical methods to estimate parameters of a logit function. RESULTS: The standard Romberg condition was the least sensitive. Longer duration flights led to larger decrements in stability with sway-reference support during the first 1-2 days, although the timecourse of recovery was similar across flight duration with head erect. Head movements led to increased incidence of falls during the first week, with a significantly longer recovery following long duration flights. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic assessment of postural instability, and differences in the timecourse of postural recovery between short and long flight durations, are more pronounced during unstable support conditions requiring active head movements.
Document ID
20100042380
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Wood, S. J. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Fiedler, J. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Taylor, L. C. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Kozlovskaya, I. (Institute of Biomedical Problems Moscow, Russian Federation)
Black, F. O. (Legacy Health System Portland, OR, United States)
Paloski, W. H. (NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2010
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-22460
Meeting Information
Meeting: 8th Symposium on the Role of the Vestibular Organs in Space Exploration
Location: Houston, TX
Country: United States
Start Date: April 8, 2011
End Date: April 10, 2011
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.

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