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Space Flight and Neurovestibular Adaptation
Author(s) -
Reschke Millard F.,
Bloomberg Jacob J.,
Harm Deborah L.,
Paloski William H.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
the journal of clinical pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.92
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1552-4604
pISSN - 0091-2700
DOI - 10.1002/j.1552-4604.1994.tb02014.x
Subject(s) - sensory system , physical medicine and rehabilitation , proprioception , psychology , reinterpretation , eye movement , neuroscience , perception , hypokinesia , medicine , physics , acoustics
Space flight represents a form of sensory stimulus rearrangement requiring modification of established terrestrial response patterns through central reinterpretation. Evidence of sensory reinterpretation is manifested as postflight modifications of eye/head coordination, locomotor patterns, postural control strategies, and illusory perceptions of self or surround motion in conjunction with head movements. Under normal preflight conditions, the head is stabilized during locomotion, but immediately postflight reduced head stability, coupled with inappropriate eye/head coordination, results in modifications of gait. Postflight postural control exhibits increased dependence on vision which compensates for inappropriate interpretation of otolith and proprioceptive inputs. Eye movements compensatory for perceived self motion, rather than actual head movements have been observed postflight. Overall, the in‐flight adaptive modification of head stabilization strategies, changes in head/eye coordination, illusionary motion, and postural control are maladaptive for a return to the terrestrial environment.