Vomit Comet Physiology: Autonomic Changes in Novice Flyers.

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Human Factors
• Aerospace Medicine

Background:

• Parabolic flight simulates microgravity and hypergravity, offering a unique environment to study human physiological responses.
• Understanding these responses is crucial for astronaut training and mitigating adverse effects during space missions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the physiological correlates of emotional and sensory experiences during altered g-force exposure.
• To explore the relationship between biosignals and self-reported states like nausea, anxiety, and excitement.

Main Methods:

• Collected physiological data (heart rate, accelerometer, skin conductance) from 16 participants during parabolic flight using wireless sensors.
• Correlated biosignal data with subjective participant reports of nausea, anxiety, and excitement.
• Employed linear mixed-effects models to analyze the relationships between physiological measures and subjective experiences.

Main Results:

• Heart rate showed a positive correlation with self-reported highest and lowest periods of anxiety and excitement.
• Bilateral skin conductance asymmetry was positively correlated with self-reported highest and lowest periods of nausea.
• Findings suggest distinct physiological signatures for different subjective states during g-force variations.

Conclusions:

• Physiological monitoring during parabolic flight can provide objective measures of subjective experiences.
• Heart rate and skin conductance asymmetry may serve as indicators for emotional states and motion sickness susceptibility.
• This research contributes to a better understanding of human adaptation to extreme environments.