Normative study of Spacelab preflight/postflight vestibular test battery.
A study was designed to establish baseline normative responses to the MIT/Canadian Spacelab vestibular test battery. Three tests used a linear acceleration sled to measure otolith function: 1) perception of linear motion (threshold determination); 2) compensatory eye movements (linear VOR); 3) closed-loop nulling, in which the blindfolded subject nulls his velocity with a joystick under the influences of a pseudorandom sled disturbance. Rotational VOR was measured at 0.3 and 0.8 Hz in the dark and the light. Static visual-vestibular interaction was tested with a standard rod and frame apparatus, while dynamic interaction was assessed by susceptibility to roll vection induced by a rotating peripheral visual field. Two examples are presented of how results from this study can aid in the interpretation of data from preflight/postflight testing of Space Shuttle/Spacelab crews on these same experiments.
Shelhamer
M
M
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
Marino
L A
LA
Young
L R
LR
Arrott
A P
AP
Wiseman
J J
JJ
D000328:Adult; D004585:Electrooculography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009760:Nystagmus, Physiologic; D012016:Reference Values; D012027:Reflex, Vestibulo-Ocular; D013026:Space Flight; D014724:Vestibular Function Tests / Q000592:standards*