Search

This book consolidates the current knowledge of how short and long-duration spaceflight affects the anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system. It also incorporates the methodology and constraints of studying the central nervous system in space. Chapters detail advances in imaging techniques available to assess intracranial and intraocular pathology as well as translational medicine with an emphasis on brain cancer and neurodegenerative disease in spaceflight. Additionally, the book offers theoretical background information, tested laboratory protocols, and step-by-step methods for reproducible lab experiments to aid neuroscientists and neurobiologists in laboratory testing and experimentation. Spaceflight and the Central Nervous System is the first to comprehensively include all aspects of spaceflight-induced changes in the central nervous system. It is an invaluable resource for basic and clinical laboratory trainees and researchers in aerospace medicine and physiology or for those looking to gain specific knowledge in spaceflight neuroscience.

Why write this book? Of all the intricate components of the human body, the central nervous system is the most responsive to the environment, detecting and responding to changes immediately. Its complexity, however, also means that it is still one of nature's best-kept secrets. Considering that the exploration of space is often thought of as the final frontier in the discovery of our origin and the preparation for our future, Neuroscience in Space is a book addressing the last, and greatest, scientific frontier. All living things on Earth have evolved in the presence of gravity and all of their biological systems have anatomical and physiological mechanisms designed to interpret and measure the force of gravity. However, in the near weightlessness of space, the sensory systems that provide basic information regarding linear acceleration no longer function as they did on Earth. As a result, most if not all, physiological systems dependent on the body's central nervous system are in flux until a new microgravity state is realized. This includes adaptation of basic life sustaining functions such as blood pressure control and cardiac function, as well as other critical functions for everyday activities including balance, coordinated movement in three-dimensional space, and the regulation of sleep. Bones that supported body weight on the ground no longer have that load to bear. They begin to lose mass and strength, as do weight-bearing and postural muscles in the legs.