PRODEX: Alterations in autonomic cardiovascular control induced during microgravity in a Mars500 crew.

Mars500 is a simulation study of a flight to and from Mars, in which two real aspects of a Mars mission are included: 1) a real time frame for the journey, and 2) confinement of a crew of 6. Two aspects of a real journey however are ignored: 1) radiation, and 2) Martian and microgravity. Parabolic flights offer the unique opportunity to submit the Mars500 crew, whose cardiovascular parameters have been determined continuously during 520 days, to microgravity and compare their values to a non-selected group, obtained from previous flights. Moreover, the project aims to differentiate confinement factors from gravity induced influences on cardiovascular control mechanisms and behavior. These objectives will be realized by assessing the autonomic cardiovascular control of the Mars500 crew during such parabolic flights. The experimental protocol includes only noninvasive methods: 1) ECG recording to assess heart rate variability (HRV), followed by spectral HRV analysis to assess the functioning of the autonomic nervous system during different gravity levels; 2) finger-cuff blood pressure to obtain blood pressure variability (BPV) and baroreflex, a combination of HRV and BPV; 3) respiration to assess vagal modulation. Time-frequency analysis will be used to assess dynamic changes and instantaneous frequency. Moreover (non)linear signal analysis algorithms will be used to evaluate the synchronization of cardiorespiratory coupling.

Keywords:Parabolic flight, Mars500, autonomic Ner, Advanced signal processing, Cardiovascular control, Microgravity, Blood pressure variability (BPV), Heart rate variability (HRV)

Disciplines:Electronics