Orthostatic intolerance and motion sickness after parabolic flight

• Published in: Journal of applied physiology (1985) Vol. 90; no. 1; pp. 67 - 82
• Main Authors: Schlegel, Todd T, Brown, Troy E, Wood, Scott J, Benavides, Edgar W, Bondar, Roberta L, Stein, Flo, Moradshahi, Peyman, Harm, Deborah L, Fritsch-Yelle, Janice M, Low, Phillip A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Legacy CDMS Am Physiological Soc 01.01.2001; American Physiological Society
• Subjects: Adult; Aerospace Medicine; Applied physiology; Autonomic Nervous System - physiopathology; Baroreflex; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure; Cardiovascular system; Carotid Arteries - physiopathology; Dizziness; Female; Gravity; Heart; Heart - physiopathology; Heart Conduction System - physiopathology; Heart Rate; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Motion sickness; Space biology; Space Flight; Space Motion Sickness - physiopathology; Supine Position; Transport. Aerospace. Diving. Altitude; Transports. Aerospace. Diving. Altitude; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Valsalva Maneuver; Vomiting; Vomiting - physiopathology; Blood Pressure; Human; Support, U.s. Gov't, Non-P.h.s; Heart Rate; Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology; Heart/physiopathology; Space Motion Sickness/physiopathology; Male; Nasa Discipline Neuroscience; Vomiting/physiopathology; Space Flight; Valsalva Maneuver; Short Duration; Nasa Center Jsc; Flight Experiment; Dizziness; Heart Conduction System/physiopathology; Baroreflex; Carotid Arteries/physiopathology; Adult; Female; Parabolic Flight; Manned; Supine Position; R wave; Crew; Cardiovascular control; Astronaut; Environmental factor; Nausea; Space flight; Trauma; Parabolic shape; Valsalva maneuver; Physical agent; Autonomic nervous system; Vomiting; Motion sickness; Digestive diseases; Arterial pressure; Acceleration; Orthostatic tolerance; Microgravity; NASA Discipline Neuroscience; NASA Center JSC
• ISSN: 8750-7587; 1522-1601
• DOI: 10.1152/jappl.2001.90.1.67

1  Life Sciences Research Laboratories, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Johnson Space Center and 2  Wyle Laboratories, Houston, Texas 77058; 3  Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030; 4  Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science, Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5B 2K3; 5  Maple Lake Non-Invasive Laboratory, Farmington, New Mexico 87109; and 6  Autonomic Reflex Laboratory, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 Because it is not clear that the induction of orthostatic intolerance in returning astronauts always requires prolonged exposure to microgravity, we investigated orthostatic tolerance and autonomic cardiovascular function in 16 healthy subjects before and after the brief micro- and hypergravity of parabolic flight. Concomitantly, we investigated the effect of parabolic flight-induced vomiting on orthostatic tolerance, R-wave-R-wave interval and arterial pressure power spectra, and carotid-cardiac baroreflex and Valsalva responses. After parabolic flight 1 ) 8 of 16 subjects could not tolerate 30 min of upright tilt (compared to 2 of 16 before flight); 2 ) 6 of 16 subjects vomited; 3 ) new intolerance to upright tilt was associated with exaggerated falls in total peripheral resistance, whereas vomiting was associated with increased R-wave-R-wave interval variability and carotid-cardiac baroreflex responsiveness; and 4 ) the proximate mode of new orthostatic failure differed in subjects who did and did not vomit, with vomiters experiencing comparatively isolated upright hypocapnia and cerebral vasoconstriction and nonvomiters experiencing signs and symptoms reminiscent of the clinical postural tachycardia syndrome. Results suggest, first, that syndromes of orthostatic intolerance resembling those developing after space flight can develop after a brief (i.e., 2-h) parabolic flight and, second, that recent vomiting can influence the results of tests of autonomic cardiovascular function commonly utilized in returning astronauts. postural tachycardia syndrome; vomiting; microgravity; hypergravity; autonomic; space flight