Ocular Biomechanical Responses to Long-Duration Spaceflight

Objective: To assess the impact of microgravity exposure on ocular rigidity (OR), intraocular pressure (IOP), and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) following long-term space missions. OR was evaluated using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and deep learning-based choroid segmentation. IOP and OPA were...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inIEEE open journal of engineering in medicine and biology pp. 1 - 6
Main Authors Solano, Marisse Masis, Dumas, Remy, Lesk, Mark R, Costantino, Santiago
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 04.09.2024
Subjects
Biomechanics
Biomedical optical imaging
Fluids
Mechanical factors
microgravity
ocular rigidity
Pathology
Rigidity
space biomechanics
Space missions
spaceflight
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Summary:Objective: To assess the impact of microgravity exposure on ocular rigidity (OR), intraocular pressure (IOP), and ocular pulse amplitude (OPA) following long-term space missions. OR was evaluated using optical coherence tomography (OCT) and deep learning-based choroid segmentation. IOP and OPA were measured with the PASCAL Dynamic Contour Tonometer (DCT). Results: The study included 26 eyes from 13 crew members who spent 157 to 186 days on the International Space Station. Post-mission results showed a 25% decrease in OPA (p < 0.005), an 11% decrease in IOP from 16.0 mmHg to 14.2 mmHg (p = 0.04), and a 33% reduction in OR (p = 0.04). No significant differences were observed between novice and experienced astronauts. Conclusions: These findings reveal previously unknown effects of microgravity on the eye's mechanical properties, contributing to a deeper understanding of Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Long-term space missions significantly alter ocular biomechanics and have the potential to become biomarkers of disease progression.
ISSN:2644-1276
2644-1276
DOI:10.1109/OJEMB.2024.3453049