Zero G and ICP: Invasive and noninvasive ICP Monitoring of Astronauts on the ISS

This research will systematically apply established clinical and investigational diagnostic methods for disorders of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation to a cohort of astronauts at risk for Visual Impairment Intracranial Pressure (VIIP). This research will result in the first-ever invasive measurements of intracranial pressure (ICP) in astronauts before, during, and after an ISS mission, providing the first physiologic evidence to demonstrate if VIIP is associated with alterations of ICP in long duration spaceflight.

AIMS

1) To determine whether ICP in space is elevated in comparison to baseline ICP on Earth, and whether ICP after return to Earth differs from baseline values by measuring ICP in astronauts before, during, and after an ISS mission by invasive methods.

2) To validate noninvasive ICP measurement methods and their correlation with invasive ICP before, during, and after spaceflight, and to quantify their error of measurement.

3) To determine the correlation of ICP changes to other indicators of VIIP by collecting biomarkers of VIIP for correlation to ICP.