Effects of prolonged weightlessness on horizontal and vertical optokinetic nystagmus and optokinetic after-nystagmus in humans. 1993

G Clément, and K E Popov, and A Berthoz
Laboratoire de Physiologie de la perception et de l'action, CNRS-collège de France, Paris.

Horizontal and vertical optokinetic nystagmus (OKN) and optokinetic after-nystagmus (OKAN) provided by a partial-field, binocular optokinetic stimulator were recorded in one astronaut before, during, and after a 25-day space flight. A ground-based study was performed on six control subjects. During the flight experiment, performed on flight days 5, 18, 19, and 21, the subject either had their feet attached to the deck or was free-floating. Vertical OKN gain only slightly increased in weightlessness compared with ground data, but the center of interest (CI) during vertical OKN, evaluated by the eye position in the saggital plane at the end of the fast phases relative to the straight-ahead direction, was found to be significantly changed during long-term exposure to weightlessness. The horizontal CI showed very little change in-flight, but the gain was increased. The time constant for the astronaut was small for vertical OKAN, but there was an increase in slow-phase velocity (SPV) by the end of the flight, which returned to normal postflight. These results partly confirm the data obtained during head-tilt studies on the ground and are in accordance with the hypothesis of a gravity-dependent control of vertical gaze direction during orientation reflexes.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D012016 Reference Values The range or frequency distribution of a measurement in a population (of organisms, organs or things) that has not been selected for the presence of disease or abnormality. Normal Range,Normal Values,Reference Ranges,Normal Ranges,Normal Value,Range, Normal,Range, Reference,Ranges, Normal,Ranges, Reference,Reference Range,Reference Value,Value, Normal,Value, Reference,Values, Normal,Values, Reference
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000064 Acclimatization Adaptation to a new environment or to a change in the old. Acclimation
D000221 Adaptation, Ocular The adjustment of the eye to variations in the intensity of light. Light adaptation is the adjustment of the eye when the light threshold is increased; DARK ADAPTATION when the light is greatly reduced. (From Cline et al., Dictionary of Visual Science, 4th ed) Light Adaptation,Adaptation, Light,Adaptations, Light,Adaptations, Ocular,Light Adaptations,Ocular Adaptation,Ocular Adaptations
D013026 Space Flight Travel beyond the earth's atmosphere. Space Exploration,Space Travel,Spaceflight,Exploration, Space,Explorations, Space,Flight, Space,Flights, Space,Space Explorations,Space Flights,Space Travels,Spaceflights,Travel, Space,Travels, Space
D013997 Time Factors Elements of limited time intervals, contributing to particular results or situations. Time Series,Factor, Time,Time Factor
D014893 Weightlessness Condition in which no acceleration, whether due to gravity or any other force, can be detected by an observer within a system. It also means the absence of weight or the absence of the force of gravity acting on a body. Microgravity, gravitational force between 0 and 10 -6 g, is included here. (From NASA Thesaurus, 1988) Microgravity,Zero Gravity,Gravity, Zero
D017120 Nystagmus, Optokinetic Normal nystagmus produced by looking at objects moving across the field of vision. Optokinetic Nystagmus

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