Summary
During the flight of Spacelab-1 a series of vestibular experiments was performed on the crew by a group of European investigators. Control experiments were carried out on the same subjects pre- and postflight. The tests included caloric stimulation of the ears, threshold measurements of response to linear acceleration, motion sickness provocative stimuli, vestibulo-ocular reflexes during linear and angular stimulation, estimation of the subjective vertical (luminous line measurements) and static ocular counterrotation at various tilt angles. The caloric experiment proved the existence of a non thermoconvective mechanism of caloric nystagmus in space. Most of the other test results point to a greater dependence on visual and somatosensory than on otolith cues in the microgravity environment. Some results, in particular the raised threshold to perception of linear acceleration in flight and the temporary reduction of ocular counterrotation at lateral tilts postflight, suggest a decreased gain of the otolith system as a possible effect of space vestibular adaptation
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barany R (1906) Untersuchungen über den vom Vestibularapparat des Ohres reflektorisch ausgelösten rhythmischen Nystagmus und seine Begleiterscheinungen. Monatschr Ohrenheilkde 40: 193–205
von Baumgarten RJ, Baldrighi G, Shillinger GL Jr (1972) Vestibular behaviour of fish during diminished g-force and weightlessness. Aerospace Med 4: 626–632
von Baumgarten RJ, Simmonds RC, Boyd JF, Garriot OK (1975) Effects of prolonged weightlessness on the swimming pattern of fish aboard Skylab-3. Aviat Space Environm Med 46: 902–906
von Baumgarten RJ, Thümler R (1979) A model for vestibular function in altered gravitational states. In: Holmquist R (ed) COSPAR life sciences and space research, Vol XVII. Pergamon Press, Oxford New York
von Baumgarten RJ, Thümler R, Vogel H (1980) Experimentelle Untersuchungen über die Wirksamkeit von Metoclopramid bei Kinetose. Therapiewoche 30: 5974–1981
von Baumgarten RJ, Vogel H, Kass JR (1981) Nauseogenic properties of various dynamic and static force environments. Acta Astronautica 8: 1005–1013
von Baumgarten RJ, Wetzig J, Vogel H, Kass JR (1982) Static and dynamic mechanisms of space vestibular malaise. Physiologist 25: 33–36
von Baumgarten RJ, Benson A, Berthoz A, Brandt Th, Brand U, Bruzek W, Dichgans J, Kass JR, Probst Th, Scherer H, Vieville T, Vogel H, Wetzig J (1984) Effects of rectilinear acceleration and optokinetic and caloric stimulation in space. Science 225: 208–212
von Baumgarten RJ, Böhmer G, Brenske A, Reiser M (1985) Proceedings of the 13th Meeting of the Barany Society in Ann Arbor Mich (in press)
von Baumgarten RJ (1986) Proposal for vestibular experiments in the Spacelab D-2 mission to European Space Agency, Paris, and Deutsche Forschungs und Versuchsanstalt für Luft und Raumfahrt, Köln-Porz
Benson A, von Baumgarten RJ, Berthoz A, Brandt Th, Brand U, Bruzek W, Dichgans J, Kass JR, Probst Th, Scherer H, Vieville T, Vogel H, Wetzig J (1984) Some results of the European experiments in the Spacelab-1 mission. In: AGARD Symposium Results of Space Experiments in Physiology and Medicine. Istanbul September 1984
Benson A, Kass JR, Vogel H (1986) European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 4. Threshold of perception of whole body linear oscillation. Exp Brain Res 64: 264–271
Benson A, Vieville Th (1986) European vestibular experiments in the Spacelab-1 mission: 6. Yaw axis vestibulo-ocular reflex. Exp Brain Res 64: 279–283
Berthoz A, Brandt Th, Dichgans J, Probst Th, Bruzek W, Viéville T (1986) European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 5. Contribution of otoliths to the vertical VOR. Exp Brain Res 64: 272–278
Coats AC, Smith SY (1967) Body position and the intensity of caloric nystagmus. Acta Otolaryngol 63: 515–532
Futaki T, Kitahara M, Morimoto M (1975) The furosemide test for Meniére's disease. Acta Otolaryngol 79: 419–424
Gernandt BE, Igarashi M, Ades HW (1966) Effect of prolonged caloric stimulation upon oculomotor vestibulospinal and segmental spinal activity. Exp Neurol 14: 240–263
Graybiel A, Miller II EF, Homick JL (1974) Experiment M-131 human vestibular function. In: The proceedings of the Skylab life sciences symposium, NSAS TM X-58154
Kass JR, von Baumgarten RJ, Benson A, Berthoz A, Brandt Th, Brand U, Bruzek W, Dichgans J, Probst Th, Scherer H, Vieville T, Vogel H, Wetzig J (1984) The European vestibular experiments in Spacelab-1. Adv Space Res 4: 3–9
Kass JR, Bruzek W, Probst Th, Thümler R, Vieville Th, Vogel H (1986) European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 2. Experimental equipment and methods. Exp Brain Res 64: 247–254
Kornilova LN, Yakelova Ya, Tarasov IK, Gorgiladze GI (1983) Vestibular dysfunction in cosmonauts during adaptation to zero-g and readaptation to 1 g. In: Proceedings of the Fifth Annual Meeting of IUPS, Commission on Gravitational Physiology 26: 35
Ludin AF (1958) Otn den kaloriska reaktionen (in Swedish) Opuscula Medica 7: 3–8
Money KE, Watt DG, Oman CM (1984) Preflight and postflight motion sickness testing of the Spacelab-2 crew. AGARD Conference Proc. No. 372. AGARD-CP-372
Oman CD, Lichtenberg BK, Money KE (1984) Space motion sickness monitoring experiment: Spacelab-1. AGARD Conference Proc. No. 372. AGARD-CP-372
Parker DE, Reschke MF, Arrott AP, Homick JL, Lichtenberg BK (1985) Otolith tilt-translation reinterpretation following prolonged weightlessness: implications for preflight training. Aviat Space Environ Med 56: 601–605
Reason JT, Brand JJ (1975) Motion sickness. Academic Press, London
Reschke MF, Anderson DJ, Homick JL (1984) Vestibulospinal reflexes as a function of microgravity. Science 225: 212–214
Scheid HW, Baky A, Boyd JF, Eichler VB, Fuller PM, Hoffmann RB, Keefe JR, Kuchnow KP, Oppenheimer JM, Salinas GA, von Baumgarten RJ Killifish hatching and orientation. ASTP Summary Science Report, pp 281–305, NASA SP-412
Scherer H, Brand U, Clarke AH, Merbold U, Parker R (1986) European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 3. Caloric nystagmus in microgravity. Exp Brain Res 64: 255–263
Vogel H, Kass JR (1986) European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 7. Ocular counterrolling measurements pre- and postflight. Exp Brain Res 64: 284–290
Wetzig J (1984) Untersuchungen über das Schwimmverhalten einseitig entstateter Fische unter kurzfristiger Einwirkung von Schwerelosigkeit. Universität Mainz, Doctor thesis
Yegorov BB, Samarin GI (1970) Possible change in the paired function of the vestibular apparatus in weightlessness. Kosm Biol Med 4: 86–86
Young LR, Watt GD, Money KE, Lichtenberg BK (1984) Spatial orientation in weightlessness and readaptation to earth's gravity. Science 225: 205–208
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by a grant from the German Department of Research and Technology no. 01 QV 017 SL 1
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
von Baumgarten, R.J. European vestibular experiments on the Spacelab-1 mission: 1. Overview. Exp Brain Res 64, 239–246 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237739
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00237739