of astronauts do not show these ocular effects, suggesting there could be variable biologic
response to the spaceflight environment and warrants a search for existing risk factors.
Standardization of qualitative and quantitative imaging criteria will further help in the
identification of asymptomatic changes and allow for the use of countermeasures to mitigate
potential long-term vision damage. Future studies involving advance tissue imaging techniques
would improve our understanding of the cause-versus-effect relationship of intracranial
pressure after exposure to microgravity (Kramer 2012).
PUBLICATION(S)
Chylack Jr LT, Feiveson AH, Peterson LE, et al. NASCA Report 2: Longitudinal study of
relationship of exposure to space radiation and risk of lens opacity. Radiation Research.
2012;178(1):25-32. doi: 10.1667/RR2876.1.
Kramer LA, Sargsyan AE, Hasan KM, Polk JD, Hamilton DR. Orbital and intracranial effects of
microgravity: Findings at 3-T MR Imaging. Radiology. 2012;263:819-827. doi:
10.1148/radiol.12111986.
Zwart SR, Gibson CR, Mader TH, et al. Vision changes after spaceflight are related to alterations
in folate- and vitamin B-12-dependent one-carbon metabolism. Journal of Nutrition. March 1,
2012;142(3):427-431. doi: 10.3945/jn.111.154245.
Mader TH, Gibson CR, Pass AF, et al. Optic disc edema, globe flattening, choroidal folds, and
hyperopic shifts observed in astronauts after long-duration spaceflight. Opthalmology. 2011;
118(10):2058-2069. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2011.06.021.
This investigation is ongoing and additional results are pending publication.