| Autor: |
Kravets, Victoria, Gopinath, Aadhit, Clark, Torin |
| Předmět: |
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| Zdroj: |
Aerospace Medicine & Human Performance; Aug2024, Vol. 95 Issue 8, p577-578, 2p |
| Abstrakt: |
INTRODUCTION: Dynamic changes in gravity experienced during space travel present immediate challenges for astronauts, and the associated neurovestibular impairment during the first crucial hours in a new environment poses increased risk of spacecraft mishaps when manual control is required or the possibility of injuries during emergency egress or Extravehicular Activities. This research seeks to address a significant knowledge gap by characterizing the extent and temporal dynamics of neurovestibular impairment within the initial hour following a gravity transition, offering valuable insights into the timeline and severity of impairment during the adaptation period. METHODS: We utilized a human centrifuge to generate a net force of 1.5g along the longitudinal body axis of our subjects for 1 hour. The amount of over/underestimation of head tilt was used to provide an indirect inference of the time course of neurovestibular adaptation to the change in gravity and was monitored by passively tilting the head to a random roll angle every 3 minutes while collecting subject visual vertical (SVV) measures through a head-mounted display. Pre- and post- centrifugation SVV measures were also collected to establish a baseline perceptual response and to monitor readaptation to 1g. Testing was repeated on two consecutive days to explore the effect of memory of recent gravity transitions on adaptation trajectories. This protocol was approved by the University of Colorado-Boulder Institutional Review Board. RESULTS: Thirteen subjects (7 males and 6 females; ages 26.8±6.1 years) completed the study. During the hour of centrifugation, subjects consistently overestimated head tilt (by an average of 41±22% of actual head tilt angle on day 1 of testing and 45±28% on day 2 of testing). The subsequent readaptation phase demonstrated a rapid readjustment back to baseline perceptual measures. Notably, significant inter-individual differences were observed throughout the study. DISCUSSION: Despite the potential ramifications related to vestibular impairment following a gravity transition, minimal data has been collected to systematically examine adaptation over the crucial first hours following a gravity transition. The results of this study offer insight into the diverse range of adaptation trajectories that may occur and can be used to inform computational models further exploring the adaptation process. Learning Objectives 1. The audience will learn about how tilt estimation changes in altered gravity. 2. The audience will learn about the effect of repeated exposure to altered gravity on tilt estimation in novel environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Databáze: |
Complementary Index |
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