VASCULAR ECHOGRAPHY (VESSEL IMAGING)
Research Area: Cardiovascular and Respiratory Systems
Expedition(s): 23-26, 29-ongoing
Principal Investigator(s): ● Philippe Arbeille, Universite Francois-Rabelais, Tours, France
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The European Space Agency’sVascular
Echography (Vessel Imaging) experiment
evaluates the changes in central and
peripheral blood vessel wall properties and
cross sectional areas of long-duration
International Space Station crew members
during and after long-term exposure to
weightlessness. A Lower Body Negative
Pressure program runs in parallel to Vessel
Imaging. Flow velocity changes in the aorta
and the middle cerebral and femoral arteries
are used to quantify the cardiovascular
response to fluid shifts. Vessel Imaging aims
to optimize the countermeasures used
routinely during long-duration space missions.
The aim of the Integrated Cardiovascular experiment is to determine the degree, development,
and clinical significance of cardiac atrophy and identify its mechanisms.
EARTH BENEFITS
In response to gravitational stress and exercise, human blood vessel diameters change. After
spaceflight it seems that vessels that normally should contract to maintain blood pressure do
not perform as well as they did before the (long-duration) spaceflight. This research holds
significance to similar conditions on Earth as they are the same processes that occur in elderly
patients. As such findings from this experiment will help in improving and maintaining the
health and well-being of an elderly population and provide insight into other cardiovascular
conditions on Earth that encompass a similar impaired cardiovascular function.
SPACE BENEFITS
By improving the understanding of the mechanisms behind changes to the cardiovascular
system in space we in turn can develop more effective countermeasures, whether
pharmacological, dietary or exercise-based, in order to alleviate such adverse effects and hence
improve/maintain the health and performance of astronauts working and living in orbit.
RESULTS
Following conclusion of the in-orbit activities for the Vessel Imaging experiment in May 2013,
the data has been undergoing analysis prior to publication of results.
This investigation is complete; however additional results are pending publication.
NASA astronaut Mike Fossum performs an ultrasound
scan on JAXA astronaut Satoshi Furukawa for the
joint Vascular Echography (Vessel Imaging/Integrated
Cardiovascular) protocol as part of research activities.
NASA image.