70% of astronauts who spend time on the International Space Station (ISS) experience swelling at the back of their eyes, causing blurriness and impaired vision both in area and when they return to Earth. In an effort to comprehend the cause of these eye problems, scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina utilized MRI scans of twelve ISS astronauts to measure the intracranial venous system (veins that circulate blood to the brain) before and after flight.
Poor vision is simply among the medical challenges facing people in space. When not needing to combat versus Earths gravity, muscles end up being weak and bone density reduces, while the high radiation environment of area threatens to trigger long-term illness like cancer. The ISS is mainly developed as a microgravity laboratory, and a lot of the experiments performed there are medical in nature, with astronauts themselves as ready test subjects– whatever learned from these studies helps keep them and their peers safe. As a result, a wealth of medical data has actually been collected that will reduce the danger to future spacefarers.
The effect of spaceflight on the eyes is understood as spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). SANS is so common, according to Dr. Mark Rosenberg, among the research studys authors, that “its specified where astronauts actually carry additional pairs of glasses when they enter into space. They know that their vision is going to be degrading up there, and theyve even started calling them space anticipation glasses.”
NASA astronaut Chris Ferguson has his eyes imaged using ultrasound at the Johnson Space Center Flight Medicine Clinic, 2011, in Houston. Credit: NASA.
The physical modifications in the eyes consist of flattening of the worlds, injury to the retinas, and the swelling of nerves in the eyes. For some astronauts, the eyes recover within weeks of returning to Earth, however the healing procedure can often take much longer.
The origin of SANS, according to the paper Rosenberg and his coworkers produced, appears to be correlated with veins swelling behind the eyes. Weightlessness causes the distribution of blood in the body to change, with fluid moving towards the head and eyes more than is typical in the world, where gravity decreases the circulation to these areas.
These outcomes imply “individuals with increased venous sinus compliance may be at increased danger of establishing SANS,” and for that reason pre-screening can help astronauts comprehend the threats to their eyes before they ever leave the Earth.
For one thing, the team hopes to do more research study on how SANS dangers may differ in between males and females, utilizing a larger sample size of astronauts (the current research is based on 2 female and 10 male astronauts). They d also like to set up a mobile MRI maker on the ISS, which would enable them to do brain scans in area. The group also thinks their research study will helpful for comprehending eye conditions for humans here on Earth.
Find out more:
Celia Spell, “Living in deep space: Changes in blood circulation volume may be at the heart of getting worse vision” MUSC Catalyst News.
Rosenberg MJ, Coker MA, Taylor JA, et al. “Comparison of Dural Venous Sinus Volumes Before and After Flight in Astronauts With and Without Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome.” JAMA Netw Open. 2021.
Included Image: Astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor examines her eye aboard the International Space Station with remote assistance from physicians on the ground (2018 ). Credit: NASA.
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70% of astronauts who invest time on the International Space Station (ISS) experience swelling at the back of their eyes, causing blurriness and impaired vision both in area and when they return to Earth. Understanding the way microgravity impacts the eyes, and the human body as a whole is a necessary part of preparations for future long-duration spaceflights to the Moon and Mars. In an effort to comprehend the cause of these eye problems, scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina utilized MRI scans of twelve ISS astronauts to determine the intracranial venous system (veins that flow blood to the brain) before and after flight. Theyve identified that there is a strong connection between the swelling of these veins and the start of eye difficulty.
The team also thinks their research will useful for understanding eye disorders for human beings here on Earth.