Medical Care in
Microgravity

By Tina Beychok

One of the most serious medical problems with spaceflight is motion sickness. It is estimated that about 70% of all first-time space travelers experience motion sickness, peaking at about 10 hours into the flight. Even worse, medications to combat motion sickness can impair cognitive ability and cause sleepiness, which can be particularly critical during take-off procedures. In addition to interfering with critical operations during take-off, motion sickness may also occur during the equally critical return to Earth's gravity.

A researcher on the National Space Biomedical Research Institute's neurovestibular adaptation team is looking at other drugs that may alleviate space sickness without impairing cognitive ability. Dr. John Dornhoffer is examining four drugs used for balance disorders here on Earth to see if they would be applicable for use in space.

Healthy participants are put through a series of tests in a rotating chair to over-stimulate the inner ear, simulating the effects of vertigo or motion sickness. While seated in the chair, subjects are cued to make head movements to increase stimulation of the inner ear.

Subjects are put through the same test once without administration of drugs to counteract the effects, and then a second time with drug administration. They are then put through a battery of cognitive tests to determine time perception, short-term memory and learning.

Once all the data is analyzed, researchers can then determine which drug, or combination of drugs, will have the best effect.

Dornhoffer explained the importance of such testing: Astronauts have worked all their lives to do this job, and they want to avoid taking something that makes them sleepy.

More information about this research can be found at www.nsbri.org/NewsPublicOut.

Tina Beychok is a medical editor and is married to OASIS president Steve Bartlett. When not working as a space activist, she teaches fencing at Renaissance Fairs and greatly enjoys allowing five-year-olds to poke holes in her.

Medical Care inMicrogravity

Medical Care in
Microgravity