Following their return to Earth, crewmembers experience disturbances in their ability to walk and maintain postural stability due to neural adaptation to the microgravity conditions of spaceflight. To counter this, Dr. Jacob J. Bloomberg is developing an in-flight Gait Adaptability Training Program to facilitate recovery of locomotor function. In this program, the subject learns to solve a class of motor problems rather than a specific motor solution to one problem. To develop the Gait Adaptability Training program, Bloomberg will conduct a ground-based study that will systematically investigate the training efficacy associated with exposing subjects to different combinations of sensory input during treadmill activities including alterations in visual flow, body loading and support surface stability. The goal of this training regimen is to enhance sensorimotor adaptability and facilitate re-adaptation to the gravities of Earth and Mars after long-duration spaceflight.

Project Summary