Functional Sensory-Motor Performance Following Long Term Space Flight: The First Results of "Field Test" Experiment

The effect that extended-duration space flights may have on human space travelers, including exploration missions, is widely discussed at the present time. Specifically, there is an increasing amount of evidence showing that the physical capacity of cosmonauts is significantly reduced after long-duration space flights. It is evident that the most impaired functions are those that rely on gravity, particularly up right posture and gait. Because of the sensorimotor disturbances manifested in the neurology of the posture and gait space flight and postflight changes may also be observed in debilitating motion sickness. While the severity of particular symptoms varies, disturbances in spatial orientation and alterations in the accuracy of voluntary movements are persistently observed after long-duration space flights. At this time most of the currently available data are primarily descriptive and not yet suitable for predicting operational impacts of most sensorimotor decrements observed upon landing on planetary surfaces or asteroids. In particular there are no existing data on the recovery dynamics or functionality of neurological, cardiovascular or muscle performance making it difficult to model or simulate the cosmonauts' activity after landing and develop the appropriate countermeasure that will ensure the rapid and safe recovery of crewmembers immediately after landing in what could be hostile environments. However and as a starting position, the videos we have acquired during recent data collection following the long duration flights of cosmonauts and astronauts walking and performing other tasks shortly after return from space flight speak volumes about their level of deconditioning. A joint Russian-American team has developed a new study specifically to address the changes in crewmembers performance and the recovery of performance with the intent of filling the missing data gaps. The first (pilot) phase of this study includes recording body kinematics and quantifying the coordination and timing of relatively simple basic movements - transition from seated and prone positions to standing, walking, stepping over obstacles, tandem walking, muscle compliance, as well as characteristics of postural sway and orthostatic tolerance. Testing for changes in these parameters have been initiated in the medical tent at the landing site. The first set of experiments showed that during the first hour after landing, cosmonauts and astronauts were able to execute (although slower and with more effort than preflight) simple movements such as egress from a seated or prone position and also to remain standing for 3.5 minutes without exhibiting pronounced cardiovascular changes. More challenging tests, however, demonstrated a prominent reduction in coordination - the obstacle task, for example, was performed at much slower speed and with a marked overestimation of the obstacle height and tandem walking was greatly degraded suggesting significant changes in proprioception, brainstem and vestibular function. There is some speculation that the neural changes, either from the bottom-up or top down may be long lasting; requiring compensatory responses that will modify or mask the adverse responses we have observed. Furthermore, these compensatory responses may actually be beneficial, helping achieve a more rapid adaptation to both weightlessness and a return to earth

Biochemical disturbances in schizophrenia — a «window of opportunity»

Introduction: Currently, there is a large amount of data that inflammatory and oxidative stress biomarkers, pterin metabolism disturbances and other biochemical abnormalities are more often present in schizophrenia compared to general population. They may also play the role of etiopathogenetic factors in schizophrenia mechanisms. At the same time, there are no studies with an assessment of a wide range of correctable biochemical abnormalities in one sample of patients. Moreover, screening algorithms for the detection and personalized correction of controlled biomarkers have not been introduced into clinical practice yet.   The aim of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of significant etiopathogenetic biochemical disturbances in patients with schizophrenia in order to justify the need for biochemical screening and correction of the corresponding abnormalities.   Materials and methods: in the blood serum of 125 patients with schizophrenia and 95 healthy volunteers the levels of folate and cobalamin (B12) (chemiluminescent immunoassay on microparticles), homocysteine (HC, enzymatic analysis), tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4, competitive enzyme immunoassay, ELISA), reduced glutathione (GSH, spectrophotometry with Ellman’s reagent), interleukin-6 (IL-6, ELISA based on a three-stage «sandwich version») and C-reactive protein (CRP, immunoturbodimetric method) were evaluated.   Results: In patients with schizophrenia the level of all studied serum biochemical markers, except for B12, was significantly different compared to healthy volunteers. The deviations levels of the studied parameters from the reference values in patients were statistically significantly higher in the markers of pterin metabolism (VH4: p = 0.0000; folates: p = 0.0000; HC: p = 0.0094). 29.6 % of patients were carriers of 4 or more studied biochemical abnormalities, while among healthy volunteers this occured in 5.3 % of cases (Xi2 = 19.2; p < 0.001).   Conclusion: The results obtained raise the question for the need of monitoring principles for a number of biochemical markers in schizophrenia and their implementation in clinical practice

Assessment of bone mineral density in epileptic patients with long-term antiepileptic therapy: pilot data

Currently, there are numerous anticonvulsants with a favorable pharmacological profile and high safety are available. However, there is still a risk of drug-induced adverse events during long-term administration of antiepileptic therapy. One of the most unfavorable changes in bone tissue associated with anticonvulsant use is osteoporotic disorders, which result in a loss of bone density, making the bones more fragile and prone to fractures. The problem of decreased bone mineral density and frequent fractures in patients with epilepsy is an important and understudied issue that significantly reduces quality of life and involves significant economic costs for the treatment and rehabilitation of epileptic patients. Studying the interaction between osteoporosis and epilepsy is of great importance for the development of effective methods for timely diagnosis, treatment and prevention of bone metabolism disorders. This article presents pilot results of a study to investigate the effect of antiepileptic therapy on mineral metabolism and bone density. The aim of the study: to evaluate bone mineral density in adult patients with epilepsy long-term receiving antiepileptic therapy. Materials and methods. Thirty-eight adult patients with epilepsy taking antiepileptic drugs for a long time were examined. All patients underwent general clinical, neurologic examination and densitometric study by quantitative computed tomography at three points (L1, L2 and femoral neck). Results. Decreased bone mineral density was found in 34.2% of the patients. Of them, 29% had osteopenia and 5.2% - osteoporosis. The change in mineral density was observed at a median duration of antiepileptic therapy of 8 years. ROC analysis showed that bone mineral density decreased statistically significantly with increasing duration of anitconvulsant therapy (SROC 0.929±0.052; 95% CI: 0.827-1.000). Correlation analysis revealed a markedly close association (ρ = -0.626, p < 0.001) between bone mineral density and duration of antiepileptic therapy. Conclusion. The results of the study confirm the effect of antiepileptic therapy on bone mineral density. And show that the probability of developing osteopenia and osteoprosis with longer duration of anticonvulsant therapy is higher than in the general population. The study of the effects of antiepileptic drugs on bone metabolism has important clinical implications for effective strategies for prescribing antiepileptic therapy in epileptic patients and requires further research

Pilot Field Test: Performance of a Sit-to-Stand Test After Long-Duration Space Flight

BACKGROUND: Astronauts returning from the International Space Station are met by a team of recovery personnel typically providing physical assistance and medical support immediately upon landing. That is because long-duration spaceflight impacts astronauts' functional abilities. Future expeditions to planets or asteroids beyond the low Earth orbit, however, may require crewmembers to egress the vehicle and perform other types of physical tasks unassisted. It is therefore important to characterize the extent and longevity of functional deficits experienced by astronauts in order to design safe exploration class missions. Pilot Field Test (PFT) experiment conducted with participation of ISS crewmembers traveling on Soyuz expeditions 34S - 41S comprised several tasks designed to study the recovery of sensorimotor abilities of astronauts during the first 24 hours after landing and beyond. METHODS: The first test in the PFT battery sequence, and also the least demanding one from the sensorimotor perspective, was a Sit-to-Stand test. Test subjects were seated in the chair and had to stand up on command and remain standing for ten seconds. The subjects were instructed to stand up unassisted as quickly as they were able to, while maintaining postural control. Synchronized wireless inertial sensors mounted on the head, chest, lower back, wrists, and ankles were used to continuously log body kinematics. Crewmembers' blood pressure and heart rate were monitored and recorded with the Portapres and Polar systems. Each session was recorded with a digital video camera. During data collections occurring within the 24-hour postflight period, crewmembers were also asked to (1) evaluate their perceived motion sickness symptoms on a 20-point scale before and after completion of the test and (2) estimate how heavy they felt compared to their normal (preflight) body weight. Consent to participate in PFT was obtained from 18 crewmembers (11 US Orbital Segment [USOS] astronauts and 7 Russian cosmonauts). For 10 subjects, the first set of data was collected in the medical tent in Soyuz landing zone (1-2 hours after landing); the other 8 subjects were tested at the Kazakhstan deployment airport (4-5 hours after landing). 8 of the 11 astronauts were tested twice more within the first 24 hours postflight, at a refueling stop on the way to Houston (approximately 13 hours after landing) and at the Johnson Space Center (approximately 24 hours after landing). Later postflight data were collected in the first two weeks on some crewmembers. Finally, 6 astronauts were tested 60+ days after landing to establish a delayed baseline. RESULTS/DISCUSSION: Two of the 18 PFT participants felt too ill to attempt any tests in Kazakhstan (at either the landing zone or deployment airport). The remaining test subjects completed the Sit-to-Stand test and their reported motion sickness scores were unaffected by this task. The task completion times and body kinematics data analysis are currently underway. Preliminary analysis of astronaut data shows a steep improvement in the time to complete the task on the second data take, and in some cases, the trend continues through day six postflight. Head and trunk pitch angles and pitch rates were also examined and increases in all measures are evident throughout the observed recovery period (60+ days postflight). Interesting patterns of head and trunk pitch coordination have also emerged. One of the data analysis objectives is comparison of initial postflight performance and recovery of experienced crewmembers and first-time fliers. Another one - possible differences in performance between USOS and Russian crewmembers

Pilot Field Test: Recovery from a Simulated Fall and Quiet Stance Stability After Long-Duration Space Flight

Astronauts returning from the International Space Station (ISS) are met by a team of recovery personnel typically providing physical assistance and medical support immediately upon landing. That is because long-duration spaceflight impacts astronauts' functional abilities. Future expeditions to planets or asteroids beyond the low Earth orbit, however, may require crewmembers to egress the vehicle and perform other types of physical tasks unassisted. It is therefore important to characterize the extent and longevity of functional deficits experienced by astronauts in order to design safe exploration class missions. Pilot Field Test (PFT) experiment conducted with participation of ISS crewmembers traveling on Soyuz expeditions 34S - 41S comprised several tasks designed to study the recovery of sensorimotor abilities of astronauts during the first 24 hours after landing and beyond

Recovery of Functional Sensorimotor Performance Following Long Duration Space Flight (Field Test)

No abstract availabl

Initial Sensorimotor and Cardiovascular Data Acquired from Soyuz Landings: Establishing a Functional Performance Recovery Time Constant

INTRODUCTION Testing of crew responses following long-duration flights has not been previously possible until a minimum of more than 24 hours after landing. As a result, it has not been possible to determine the trend of the early recovery process, nor has it been possible to accurately assess the full impact of the decrements associated with long-duration flight. To overcome these limitations, both the Russian and U.S. programs have implemented joint testing at the Soyuz landing site. This International Space Station research effort has been identified as the functional Field Test, and represents data collect on NASA, Russian, European Space Agency, and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency crews. RESEARCH The primary goal of this research is to determine functional abilities associated with long-duration space flight crews beginning as soon after landing as possible on the day of landing (typically within 1 to 1.5 hours). This goal has both sensorimotor and cardiovascular elements. To date, a total of 15 subjects have participated in a 'pilot' version of the full 'field test'. The full version of the 'field test' will assess functional sensorimotor measurements included hand/eye coordination, standing from a seated position (sit-to-stand), walking normally without falling, measurement of dynamic visual acuity, discriminating different forces generated with the hands (both strength and ability to judge just noticeable differences of force), standing from a prone position, coordinated walking involving tandem heel-to-toe placement (tested with eyes both closed and open), walking normally while avoiding obstacles of differing heights, and determining postural ataxia while standing (measurement of quiet stance). Sensorimotor performance has been obtained using video records, and data from body worn inertial sensors. The cardiovascular portion of the investigation has measured blood pressure and heart rate during a timed stand test in conjunction with postural ataxia testing (quiet stance sway) as well as cardiovascular responses during sensorimotor testing on all of the above measures. We have also collected motion sickness data associated with each of the postflight tests. When possible rudimentary cerebellar assessment was undertaken. In addition to the immediate post-landing collection of data, postflight data has been acquired twice more within 24 hours after landing and measurements continue until sensorimotor and cardiovascular responses have returned to preflight normative values (approximately 60 days postflight). SUMMARY The level of functional deficit observed in the crew tested to date is more severe than expected, clearly triggered by the acquisition of gravity loads immediately after landing when the demands for crew intervention in response to emergency operations will be greatest. Measureable performance parameters such as ability to perform a seat egress, recover from a fall or the ability to see clearly when walking, and related physiologic data (orthostatic responses) are required to provide an evidence base for characterizing programmatic risks and the degree of variability among crewmembers for exploration missions where the crew will be unassisted after landing. Overall, these early functional and related physiologic measurements will allow the estimation of nonlinear sensorimotor and cardiovascular recovery trends that have not been previously captured

Мультимедийные технологии в преподавании иностранного языка

Данная статья посвящена мультимедиа в обучении иностранным языкам. В статье раскрывается содержание понятия "мультимедийные средства". В настоящее время проблема создания искусственной иноязычной среды является достаточно актуальной, так как большинство учащихся любого возраста испытывают трудности в изучении иностранного языка. Целью данного проекта является выявление преимуществ и недостатков использования мультимедиа в образовательном процессе. Результаты исследования демонстрируют эффективность использования мультимедийных средств в обучении иностранным языкам.This article is devoted to multimedia in foreign language teaching. The paper reveals the content of the concept "multimedia tools". Nowadays the problem of creating an artificial foreign language environment is rather relevant because most of the students of any age have difficulties in learning a foreign language. The aim of this project is to identify the advantages and disadvantages of using multimedia in the educational process. The output of the research demonstrates the effectiveness of multimedia tools in foreign language teaching