Citation

Harm DL, Parker DE. J. Clin. Pharmacol. 1994; 34(6): 618-627.

Affiliation

NASA Johnson Space Center, Neuroscience Laboratory, Houston, Texas 77058.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1994, American College of Clinical Pharmacology, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8083393

Abstract

Two part-task preflight adaptation trainers (PATs) are being developed at the NASA Johnson Space Center to preadapt astronauts to novel sensory stimulus conditions similar to those present in microgravity to facilitate adaptation to microgravity and readaptation to Earth. This activity is a major component of a general effort to develop countermeasures aimed at minimizing sensory and sensorimotor disturbances and Space Motion Sickness (SMS) associated with adaptation to microgravity and readaptation to Earth. Design principles for the development of the two trainers are discussed, along with a detailed description of both devices. In addition, a summary of four ground-based investigations using one of the trainers to determine the extent to which various novel sensory stimulus conditions produce changes in compensatory eye movement responses, postural equilibrium, motion sickness symptoms, and electrogastric responses are presented. Finally, a brief description of the general concept of dual-adapted states that underly the development of the PATs, and ongoing and future operational and basic research activities is presented.

Language: en