Venue: BBS
Invited by Ellemarije Altena and Etienne Guillaud (INCIA)
Bilateral vestibular loss and space flight: common consequences?
by Pierre Denise
COMETE – Mobilités : Vieillissement, pathologie, santé
UMR1075 Université de Caen, INSERM
Abstract
Postural and locomotor disorders are common among astronauts in the days following their return to Earth. Their intensity could jeopardize the survival of some astronauts upon arrival on Mars. To better understand the origin of these disorders and better prevent them, we compared the postural and locomotor performances of astronauts upon their return to Earth with those of patients suffering from bilateral vestibulopathy (loss or significant reduction of vestibular function).
Following landing, astronauts exhibit performances similar to those of patients with vestibular disorders. These results support the hypothesis of a vestibular origin for the disorders observed in astronauts and open up prospects for the development of countermeasures, as well as for patient management. The experience of patients could therefore be useful to astronauts and vice versa.
Flying to the moon, a never ending story or a fleeting time ? How bilateral vestibular deafferentation affects time estimation in rats.
by Thomas Fréret
COMETE – Mobilités : Vieillissement, pathologie, santé
UMR1075 Université de Caen, INSERM