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Published on: October 27, 2020
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Astronauts eye-head coordination dysfunction over the course of twenty space shuttle flights
Ognyan I Kolev1,2, Gilles Clement3,4, Millard F Reschke1
1Neuroscience Laboratories, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Summary
Astronauts
Area of Science:
- Spaceflight physiology
- Human motor control
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Human motor activity is adapted to Earth's gravity.
- Spaceflight involves transitions between Earth gravity, hypergravity, and microgravity.
- These gravity changes may affect eye-head coordination in gaze control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how microgravity affects astronauts' eye-head coordination (EHC).
- To analyze EHC changes based on flight day and target eccentricity.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-four astronauts participated in 20 Space Shuttle missions.
- Participants acquired visual targets at 20°, 30°, and 49° offsets.
- Eye, head, and gaze positions were recorded before and during flight days 1-15.
Main Results:
- In-flight EHC showed changes over time and with target eccentricity.
- Alterations in gaze performance were observed during target acquisition.
Conclusions:
- In-flight EHC changes are likely due to altered spatial orientation and adapted movement strategies.
- Astronauts utilize different gaze behaviors depending on environmental conditions, such as microgravity.
- Factors include shifts in spatial reference frames and modified head movement generation to prevent motion sickness.
