Risk of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome

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Astronaut Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor Examines Her Eyes in Space

NASA

Exposure to altered gravity can cause ocular and brain structural changes to develop during spaceflight; these changes could lead to vision alterations, cognitive effects, or other deleterious health effects. SANS is a syndrome unique to humans that fly in space, and there is no terrestrial disease equivalent. Brain structural changes appear small but seem to indicate that over half of crewmembers experience one or more symptoms of SANS. Determining intracranial pressure during spaceflight could improve our understanding of SANS mechanisms and improve our ability to target countermeasures for determining risk for future missions.

NASA astronaut Karen Nyberg, Expedition 36 flight engineer, conducts an ocular health exam on herself in the Destiny laboratory of the Earth-orbiting International Space Station. (NASA)

NASA