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Modeling locomotor dysfunction following spaceflight with Galvanic vestibular stimulation

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Abstract

In this study locomotor and gaze dysfunction commonly observed in astronauts following spaceflight were modeled using two Galvanic vestibular stimulation (GVS) paradigms: (1) pseudorandom, and (2) head-coupled (proportional to the summed vertical linear acceleration and yaw angular velocity obtained from a head-mounted Inertial Measurement Unit). Locomotor and gaze function during GVS were assessed by tests previously used to evaluate post-flight astronaut performance; dynamic visual acuity (DVA) during treadmill locomotion at 80 m/min, and navigation of an obstacle course. During treadmill locomotion with pseudorandom GVS there was a 12% decrease in coherence between head pitch and vertical translation at the step frequency relative to the no GVS condition, which was not significantly different to the 15% decrease in coherence observed in astronauts following shuttle missions. This disruption in head stabilization likely resulted in a decrease in DVA equivalent to the reduction in acuity observed in astronauts 6 days after return from extended missions aboard the International Space Station (ISS). There were significant increases in time-to-completion of the obstacle course during both pseudorandom (21%) and head-coupled (14%) GVS, equivalent to an ISS astronaut 5 days post-landing. An attempt to suppress head movement was evident during both pseudorandom and head-coupled GVS while negotiating the obstacle course, with a 20 and 16%, decrease in head pitch and yaw velocity, respectively. The results of this study demonstrate that pseudorandom GVS generates many of the salient features of post-flight locomotor dysfunction observed in astronauts following short and long duration missions. An ambulatory GVS system may prove a useful adjunct to the current pre-flight astronaut training regimen.

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Notes

  1. Head movement was not measured during the FMT.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by NASA grant NNJ04HF51G and a National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) Tactical Integration and Planning grant through NASA NCC 9-58 (Steven Moore).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human Aerospace Laboratory, Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1 E 100th St, Box 1135, New York, NY, 10029, USA

    Steven T. Moore & Hamish G. MacDougall

  2. Neuroscience Laboratory, Wyle Life Sciences, Houston, TX, USA

    Brian T. Peters

  3. Neuroscience Laboratory, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA

    Jacob J. Bloomberg

  4. School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Ian S. Curthoys

  5. Bobby R. Alford Department of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Helen S. Cohen

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  1. Steven T. Moore
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  2. Hamish G. MacDougall
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  4. Jacob J. Bloomberg
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  5. Ian S. Curthoys
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Correspondence to Steven T. Moore.

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Moore, S.T., MacDougall, H.G., Peters, B.T. et al. Modeling locomotor dysfunction following spaceflight with Galvanic vestibular stimulation. Exp Brain Res 174, 647–659 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-006-0528-1

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