posted 05-29-2008 10:00 AM               

To be aware of the environment, one must sense or perceive that environment. The body senses the environment by the interaction of specialized sensory organs with some aspect or another of the environment. The central nervous system utilizes these sensations in order to coordinate and organize muscular movements, shift from uncomfortable positions, and adjust properly. One relevant question is what is the relative contribution of gravity to these sensory and motor functions?

This book reviews the effects of space flight on the functioning of the sensory organs primarily used for balance and spatial orientation. Disorientation and malaise so frequently encountered during early exposure to microgravity and on return to Earth are described. Theories and actual data regarding the role of the central nervous system in the adaptation of sensory-motor functions (including the control of posture, eye movements, and self-orientation) to changing environmental gravity levels are explored. This book contains many illustrations, including photographs of equipment and experiments flown onboard space missions.

About the Author

Since the first orbital flight of John Glenn, investigations have been conducted on the adaptation of nervous functions to space flight Millard Reschke and Gilles Clment have been active in this research, with experiments flown onboard Salyut, Mir, Spacelab, and 30+ flights of the Space Shuttle . This book presents in a readable text and detailed illustrations the findings from these experiments conducted during and after space missions. The authors also identify the neuroscience research that is foreseen onboard the International Space Station and what do we need to learn to understand fully the implications and risks in this area for a human mission to Mars.

• Paperback: 336 pages
  
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (July 18, 2008)
  
• ISBN-10: 0387789499
  
• ISBN-13: 978-0387789491