Spaceflight And The Central Nervous System

This book consolidates the current knowledge of how short and long-duration spaceflight affects the anatomy and physiology of the central nervous system. It also incorporates the methodology and constraints of studying the central nervous system in space. Chapters detail advances in imaging techniques available to assess intracranial and intraocular pathology as well as translational medicine with an emphasis on brain cancer and neurodegenerative disease in spaceflight. Additionally, the book offers theoretical background information, tested laboratory protocols, and step-by-step methods for reproducible lab experiments to aid neuroscientists and neurobiologists in laboratory testing and experimentation. Spaceflight and the Central Nervous System is the first to comprehensively include all aspects of spaceflight-induced changes in the central nervous system. It is an invaluable resource for basic and clinical laboratory trainees and researchers in aerospace medicine and physiology or for those looking to gain specific knowledge in spaceflight neuroscience.

Our anatomy and physiology have been completely shaped by Earth's gravity. All body systems function in synergy with this unseen force. Yet, as we journey further and longer into space, our bodies must conform to a new reality, wherein gravity is absent or reduced, cosmic radiation threatens and our social and familial connections become distant. Into Space: A Journey of How Humans Adapt and Live in Microgravity gives an overview of some of the physiological, anatomical and cellular changes that occur in space and their effects on different body systems, such as the cardiovascular and musculoskeletal, and touches on cultural and psychosocial aspects of leaving behind family and the safety of Earth. It further addresses the complexity of manned space flights, showing how interdisciplinary this subject is and discussing the challenges that space physiologists, physicians and scientists must face as humans seek to conquer the final frontier.

This book offers an overview of neuroscience research performed in space since the observations made during the first manned space flights to the detailed scientific investigations currently being carried out onboard the International Space Station. This book is for the general scientific reader. Each project and the reason why it was done is described with illustrations, rationale and hypothesis, and a summary of results. Also, reference lists guide readers to the published papers from experiments. This book is a legacy of what we have learned on brain mechanisms and functions through research done in space, and a guide for what could be investigated in the future.

Over the years, a large body of knowledge has developed regarding the ways in which space flight affects the health of the personnel involved. Now, for the first time, this clinical knowledge on how to diagnose and treat conditions that either develop during a mission or because of a mission has been compiled by Drs. Michael Barratt and Sam L. Pool of the NASA/Johnson Space Center. Complete with detailed information on the physiological and psychological affects of space flight as well as how to diagnose and treat everything from dental concerns to decompression to dermatological problems encountered, this text is a must have for all those associated with aerospace medicine.

“Space Pharmacology” is a review of the current knowledge regarding the use of pharmaceuticals during spaceflights. It is a comprehensive review of the literature, addressing each area of pharmacokinetics and each major physiological system in turn. Every section begins with a topic overview, and is followed by a discussion of published data from spaceflight, and from ground experiments meant to model the spaceflight situation. Includes a discussion looking forward to the new medical challenges we are likely to face on longer duration exploration missions. This book is a snapshot of our current knowledge that also highlights areas of unknown.

Offers solutions and best practices to respond to recurrent problems and contemporary challenges in the field Since the publication of the first edition of Environmental Impact Assessment in 2003, both the practice and theory of impact assessment have changed substantially. Not only has the field been subject to a great deal of new regulations and guidelines, it has also evolved tremendously, with a greater emphasis on strategic environmental, sustainability, and human health impact assessments. Moreover, there is a greater call for impact assessments from a global perspective. This Second Edition, now titled Impact Assessment to reflect its broader scope and the breadth of these many changes, offers students and practitioners a current guide to today's impact assessment practice. Impact Assessment begins with an introduction and then a chapter reviewing conventional approaches to the field. Next, the book is organized around recurrent problems and contemporary challenges in impact assessment process design and management, enabling readers to quickly find the material they need to solve tough problems, including: How to make impact assessments more influential, rigorous, rational, substantive, practical, democratic, collaborative, ethical, and adaptive How each problem and challenge-reducing process would operate at the regulatory and applied levels How each problem can be approached for different impact assessment types-sustainability assessment, strategic environmental assessment, project-level EIA, social impact assessment, ecological impact assessment, and health impact assessment How to link and combine impact assessment processes to operate in situations with multiple overlapping problems, challenges, and impact assessment types How to connect and combine impact assessment processes Each chapter first addresses the topic with current theory and then demonstrates how that theory is applied, presenting requirements, guidelines, and best practices. Summaries at the end of each chapter provide a handy tool for structuring the design and evaluation of impact assessment processes and documents. Readers will find analyses and new case studies that address such issues as multi-jurisdictional impact assessment, climate change, cumulative effects assessment, follow-up, capacity building, interpreting significance, and the siting of major industrial and waste facilities. Reflecting current theory and standards of practice, Impact Assessment is appropriate for both students and practitioners in the field, enabling them to confidently respond to a myriad of new challenges in the field.

This two-volume handbook, directed at medical professionals and students who are involved in developing the space industry or are academicians doing research in this area, covers current pharmaceutical knowledge about the difference in medication efficacy in space versus on Earth and includes trial results and best practices for the space research and travel industry. The well-known contributors come from an interdisciplinary background and address all aspects of the subject, from the physiological impact of spaceflight to the effects of radiation. As the commercial space industry expands its operations in industry and tourism, the field of space pharmaceuticals is growing commensurately. Existing pharmacological research from space is thoroughly covered in this book, and Earth applications are also described. Potential pharmacological solutions are posed along with the known challenges and examples from existing studies, which are detailed at length. This major reference work is a comprehensive and important medical resource for all space industry players.