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Spaceflight Sensorimotor Analogs: Simulating Acute and Adaptive EffectsAdaptive changes in sensorimotor function during spaceflight are reflected by spatial disorientation, motion sickness, gaze destabilization and decrements in balance, locomotion and eye-hand coordination that occur during and following transitions between different gravitational states. The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-synthesis of data from spaceflight analogs to evaluate their effectiveness in simulating adaptive changes in sensorimotor function. METHODS. The analogs under review were categorized as either acute analogs used to simulate performance decrements accompanied with transient changes, or adaptive analogs used to drive sensorimotor learning to altered sensory feedback. The effectiveness of each analog was evaluated in terms of mechanisms of action, magnitude and time course of observed deficits compared to spaceflight data, and the effects of amplitude and exposure duration. RESULTS. Parabolic flight has been used extensively to examine effects of acute variation in gravitational loads, ranging from hypergravity to microgravity. More recently, galvanic vestibular stimulation has been used to elicit acute postural, locomotor and gaze dysfunction by disrupting vestibular afferents. Patient populations, e.g., with bilateral vestibular loss or cerebellar dysfunction, have been proposed to model acute sensorimotor dysfunction. Early research sponsored by NASA involved living onboard rotating rooms, which appeared to approximate the time course of adaptation and post-exposure recovery observed in astronauts following spaceflight. Exposure to different bed-rest paradigms (6 deg head down, dry immersion) result in similar motor deficits to that observed following spaceflight. Shorter adaptive analogs have incorporated virtual reality environments, visual distortion paradigms, exposure to conflicting tilt-translation cues, and exposure to 3Gx centrifugation. As with spaceflight, there is considerable variability in responses to most of the analogs reviewed. DISCUSSION. A true ground-based flight analog for sensorimotor function is not feasible. A combination of flight analogs; however, can be used to selectively mimic different aspects of the spaceflight-induced sensorimotor performance decrements.
Document ID
20090038747
Acquisition Source
Johnson Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Taylor, Laura C.
(Wyle Labs., Inc. Houston, TX, United States)
Harm, Deborah L.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Kozlovskaya, Inessa
(Academy of Sciences (Russia) Moscow, Russian Federation)
Reschke, Millard F.
(NASA Johnson Space Center Houston, TX, United States)
Wood, Scott J.
(Universities Space Research Association Houston, TX, United States)
Date Acquired
August 24, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 2009
Subject Category
Aerospace Medicine
Report/Patent Number
JSC-CN-19134
Meeting Information
Meeting: 81st Annual Scientific Aerospace Medical Association Meeting
Location: Phoenix, Az
Country: United States
Start Date: May 9, 2010
End Date: May 13, 2010
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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