Postflight balance control recovery in an elderly astronaut: a case report.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the sensorimotor adaptive response of a 77-year-old man exposed to the gravito-inertial challenges of orbital space flight.


METHODS
Prospective case study with retrospective comparisons.


METHODS
NASA Neurosciences Laboratory (Johnson Space Center) and Baseline Data Collection Facility (Kennedy Space Center). PRIMARY PARTICIPANT: One 77-year-old male shuttle astronaut.


METHODS
Insertion into low Earth orbit was used to remove gravitational stimuli and thereby trigger sensorimotor adaptation to the microgravity environment. Graviceptor stimulation was reintroduced at landing, and sensorimotor readaptation to the terrestrial environment was tracked to completion.


METHODS
Computerized dynamic posturography tests were administered before and after orbital flight to determine the magnitude and time course of recovery.


RESULTS
The elderly astronaut exhibited balance control performance decrements on landing day; however, there were no significant differences between his performance and that of younger astronauts tested on the same shuttle mission or on previous shuttle missions of similar duration.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that the physiological changes attributed to aging do not necessarily impair adaptive sensorimotor control processes.
Paloski
William H
WH
Neurosciences Laboratory, NASA/Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas 77058, USA. wpaloski@ems.jsc.nasa.gov
Black
F Owen
FO
Metter
E Jeffrey
EJ
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D018480:Astronauts; D004584:Electronystagmography; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013026:Space Flight; D013997:Time Factors