Use of objective balance control data to assess neurogenic performance risks in astronauts following space flight

Summary form only given. Adaptive plasticity driven by gravity transitions associated with launch and return from space flight modifies the performance of sensory-motor control systems crucial to mission activities and activities of daily living (ADL). Data from pre- and post-flight balance control studies demonstrate the initial deficit and subsequent recovery dynamics following landing, as well as the effects of mission duration and previous space flight experience on these dynamics. Objective criteria are being developed to guide return-to-duty decisions by crew surgeons caring for astronauts. A risk-based approach has been undertaken, with risk assessment based on objective balance control data. Criteria for return to ADL are based on within-subject comparisons of pre- and post-flight performance and between-subject comparisons with normative populations.