Eyeworld

Is there a future for humans in space? Initial findings have revealed that changes to the retina, choroid, and optic nerve head anatomy develop during astronaut stays on the ISS. "Although there is inter-individual variability, the trends are similar and will provide important information about mechanisms involved," Dr. Gibson said. The Spectralis OCT specifically documented thickening of the RNFL that progressed to various degrees of disc edema in several participating crewmembers. Because long-stand- ing disc edema has been associated with vision loss on Earth, NASA sci- entists will continue to monitor its progression in astronauts to assess the potential for vision loss in space, Dr. Gibson said. "Due to its ability to accurate- ly track changes over time, [the Spectralis OCT] appears well suited to serve both as an 'early warning system' of impending optic nerve changes in astronauts as well as an accurate method of documenting the progression and time course of such changes," he said. Ophthalmology continued from page 3 Interestingly, ocular and visual changes caused by microgravity seem to occur more often in men than in women. As NASA flies many more male astronauts than female, however, at this point there is limited data to draw any con- clusions about a gender difference, Dr. Gibson said. But this will be an interesting phenomenon to monitor in the future. Results from this study also have the potential to provide a clearer picture of how microgravity affects physiological systems beyond the eye. The ISS has only 6 crew- members aboard at once, howev- er, so it will take time to generate enough data to fully understand the mechanisms at work. Travel to other planets remains in the distant future, but NASA is making strides toward understanding how humans could survive a trip so far from home. EW Editors' note: Dr. Gibson has no finan- cial interests related to this article. Contact information Gibson: charles.gibson-1@nasa.gov More from the National Space Biomedical Research Institute D orit B. Donoviel, PhD, deputy chief scientist and industry forum lead at the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI), called on those attending the 2014 OIS@AAO meeting in Chicago to develop innovative solutions for vision testing in space in the talk "Houston, We Have A Problem: Visual Disorders In Space and How Ophthalmology Can Help." "If we want to explore space, we have to consider an environment that's very hostile to the human body," Dr. Donoviel said. Because of the issues, including those discussed in this article, the NSBRI needs "out of this world" diagnostic capabilities, she said. The NSBRI hopes to partner with ophthalmologists through its Vision for Mars Challenge to develop non-invasive vision and ocular health tests for astronauts during spaceflight—an opportunity for ophthalmologists to be truly innovative, Dr. Donoviel said. For more information on the program, visit nsbriforum.org. EW

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