Summary
Due to the challenges of performing research on space crew who go on space missions, a number of ground-based spaceflight analogs have been developed over time to overcome some of the limitations of researching space crew. Such analog models enable a more controlled study design, inclusion of a higher number of subjects in a shorter time, research on the effects of specific factors of spaceflight rather than all fators simultaneously, and more. One of such ground-based models is parabolic flight, which is the only way to create true microgravity on Earth. It is a highly used platform to study acute consequences of microgravity. For this reason, we were interested in investigating structural and functional changes to the brain after parabolic flight by acquiring MRI data before and after the flight. A series of questionnaires were completed by the participants as well, to examine their experience at the level of emotion, motion sickness, and more.
Duration
2014 - 2016
Publications
- Intrinsic functional connectivity reduces after first-time exposure to short-term gravitational alterations induced by parabolic flight. (2017)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-03170-5
- Motion sickness and sopite syndrome associated with parabolic flights: a case report. (2016)
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/14992027.2015.1111526?journalCode=iija20