Spaceflight and the Central Nervous System

Alex P. Michael, MD Neurological Surgeon, Mercy Clinic NeurosurgeryChristian Otto, MDDirector of Teleoncology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterFormer Lead Scientist for NASA’s Visual Impairment Intracranial Pressure Risk GroupAlan R. HargensDepartment of Orthopaedic SurgeryUniversity of CaliforniaSan Diego, CAMillard F. Reschke Johnson Space CenterNASA NeuroscienceHouston, TX

• 1. History of Spaceflight and the Central Nervous System.- 2. Cardiovascular Physiology and Fluid Shifts in Space.- 3. Effects of Microgravity and Space Radiation on the Nervous system.- 4. Cognitive Performance and Neuromapping.- 5. Spine Biomechanics and Pathology.- 6. Vestibular System.- 7. Why the study of intraocular pressure is important to understand and prevent SANS.- 8. Central Nervous System (CNS) Neoplasms in Microgravity.- 9. Space Renaissance and Neurodegeneration.- 10. Summary and Future Directions.