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Clément G, Kuldavletova O, Macaulay TR, Wood SJ, Navarro Morales DC, Toupet M, Hautefort C, Van Nechel C, Quarck G, Denise P. Cognitive and balance functions of astronauts after spaceflight are comparable to those of individuals with bilateral vestibulopathy. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1284029. [PMID: 37965165 PMCID: PMC10641777 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1284029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study compares the balance control and cognitive responses of subjects with bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) to those of astronauts immediately after they return from long-duration spaceflight on board the International Space Station. Methods Twenty-eight astronauts and thirty subjects with BVP performed five tests using the same procedures: sit-to-stand, walk-and-turn, tandem walk, duration judgment, and reaction time. Results Compared to the astronauts' preflight responses, the BVP subjects' responses were impaired in all five tests. However, the BVP subjects' performance during the walk-and-turn and the tandem walk tests were comparable to the astronauts' performance on the day they returned from space. Moreover, the BVP subjects' time perception and reaction time were comparable to those of the astronauts during spaceflight. The BVP subjects performed the sit-to-stand test at a level that fell between the astronauts' performance on the day of landing and 1 day later. Discussion These results indicate that the alterations in dynamic balance control, time perception, and reaction time that astronauts experience after spaceflight are likely driven by central vestibular adaptations. Vestibular and somatosensory training in orbit and vestibular rehabilitation after spaceflight could be effective countermeasures for mitigating these post-flight performance decrements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles Clément
- Université de Caen Normandie, INSERM, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, Normandie Université, Caen, France
- KBR, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Olga Kuldavletova
- Université de Caen Normandie, INSERM, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, Normandie Université, Caen, France
| | | | - Scott J Wood
- NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Deborah C Navarro Morales
- Université de Caen Normandie, INSERM, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, Normandie Université, Caen, France
| | - Michel Toupet
- Centre d'Explorations Fonctionnelles Oto-Neurologiques, Paris, France
| | - Charlotte Hautefort
- Université de Paris Cité, INSERM U1141, Paris, France
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Assistance Publique, Hôpitaux de Paris, Lariboisière Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Gaëlle Quarck
- Université de Caen Normandie, INSERM, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, Normandie Université, Caen, France
| | - Pierre Denise
- Université de Caen Normandie, INSERM, COMETE U1075, CYCERON, CHU de Caen, Normandie Université, Caen, France
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Scott JM, Feiveson AH, English KL, Spector ER, Sibonga JD, Dillon EL, Ploutz-Snyder L, Everett ME. Effects of exercise countermeasures on multisystem function in long duration spaceflight astronauts. NPJ Microgravity 2023; 9:11. [PMID: 36737441 PMCID: PMC9898566 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-023-00256-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Exercise training is a key countermeasure used to offset spaceflight-induced multisystem deconditioning. Here, we evaluated the effects of exercise countermeasures on multisystem function in a large cohort (N = 46) of astronauts on long-duration spaceflight missions. We found that during 178 ± 48 d of spaceflight, ~600 min/wk of aerobic and resistance exercise did not fully protect against multisystem deconditioning. However, substantial inter-individual heterogeneity in multisystem response was apparent with changes from pre to postflight ranging from -30% to +5%. We estimated that up to 17% of astronauts would experience performance-limiting deconditioning if current exercise countermeasures were used on future spaceflight missions. These findings support the need for refinement of current countermeasures, adjunct interventions, or enhanced requirements for preflight physiologic and functional capacity for the protection of astronaut health and performance during exploration missions to the moon and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica M Scott
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY, USA.
- Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Alan H Feiveson
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kirk L English
- Milligan University, Milligan College, Elizabethton, TN, USA
| | | | - Jean D Sibonga
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | - Meghan E Everett
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Houston, TX, USA.
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