NASA Experiments fulfilled by the Russian cosmonaut in the frames of the annual medical program
Experiment Ocular Health
Objectives:
- The determination of time sequence of signs and symptoms occurrence in-flight and of their disappearance after the flight.
- Determining if signs and symptoms of intracranial hypertension syndrome with visual impairment (IHVI) disappear after the flight, and identification of long-term changes impact on crew members health status.
- The description of the connection between weightlessness' continuance and severity of symptoms, i.e. dose-effect dependence.
- The description of IHVI syndrome development mechanism for working out protective and preventive measures and treatment.
Tasks:
- More profound understanding of IHVI rate of occurrence, signs, symptoms, susceptibility and duration of development and decrement periods.
- Development of recommendations concerning methods and means of prevention and target treatment for the purpose of preventing IHVI and its complications.
Experiment consists of several stages:
- Eye grounds' ophthalmoscopy (funduscopy). During the research there are conducted photographing and shooting short videos of an eye.
- Tonometry with the arterial pressure measurement. The tester's intraocular pressure is defined by means of tonometry.
- Sight test. The operator carries out standard computerized sight tests - visual acuity, Amsler's test and contrast sensitivity.
- Eye's ultrasound examination, vessels' flexibility and transcranial Doppler sonography. Tester makes eye's ultrasound examination, vessels' flexibility test (echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, arterial pressure) and transcranial Doppler sonography.
Used science hardware:
- ultrasonic medical device and corresponding expendable materials (gel, electrocardiogram's electrodes, dry tissues and others) for eyes and heart examination and also for the transcranial Doppler sonography;
- tonometer used for medical control and measurement of intraocular pressure;
- funduscope for retina examination;
- cuff for blood pressure measurement;
- card and software for sight changes' registration;
- OCT camera and spectrometer;
- SSC (equipment for data gathering);
- communication system of American Segment ASC (for carrying out sight examination, funduscopy and OCT).
Results of the experiment:
Flight data on health status of tester's organs of vision.
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