Researchers are teaming up with the Polaris spaceflight program to understand why astronauts experience vision changes and significant vision loss when they return to Earth. More than 70% of astronauts experience phenomenon known as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome or SANS. Researches at the Augusta University said the change in vision can "start happening on day one".
"We suspect it has to do with a shift in cerebrospinal fluid in the optic nerve sheath. On Earth,
gravity pushes that fluid down and it drains out, but in space, it floats up and presses against the optic nerve and retina" the University's Dr Matt Lyon said in a news release.
With the help of portable handheld ultrasound machines, Dr Lyon's team hopes to not only figure out the mechanism behind the changes, but also be able to predict which astronauts are most likely to experience them. The ultra sound machines are being used by the team to screen astronauts and determine who among them may already have incompetent or damaged optic nerve sheaths. They suspect those are the ones who will be more susceptible to SANS-associated vision changes.
Next steps include working to develop and fine tune countermeasures that would decrease fluid volumes in the head during spaceflight
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