VaPER: The Development of Spaceflight Associated Neuro‐ocular Syndrome (SANS) During Hypercapnic 6° Head‐Down Tilt Bed Rest; sans Sufficient Sleep?
Authors: Christian Kate H. , Petitti Carla S. , Ortega‐Schwartz Kyra E. , Macias Brandon R. , Lee Stuart M.C. , Stenger Michael B. , Lovering Andrew T. , Laurie Steven S. 
Published: June 2021

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the combination of a cephalad fluid shift induced by headdown tilt (HDT) bed rest and chronic exposure to mild hypercapnia for 30 days will alter sleep architecture and circadian rhythm, contributing to characteristics of Spaceflight Associated Neuro‐ocular Syndrome (SANS).

METHODS

After 14 days of ambulatory normocapnic familiarization with the facility and baseline data collection (BDC), eleven subjects (5 female) breathed mild, ambient hypercapnia (0.5% CO2) throughout 30 days of 6° HDT at the German Aerospace Center (DLR): envihab facility. Following HDT, subjects were monitored for an additional 14 days of ambulatory, normocapnic recovery (R). Overnight polysomnography (PSG) was measured using a type‐2 sleep monitoring system, and the PSG was scored by a Polysomnographic Technologist to assess sleep duration, staging, latency, and arousals. Circadian rhythm was assessed by monitoring 24‐hour core body temperature with rectal temperature probes. Arterial PCO2 levels were estimated from transcutaneous PCO2 monitoring throughout sleep. Retinal thickness was measured via optical coherence tomography (OCT); those with increased thickness >50μ in the nasal quadrant were classified as RET+, those <50μ were classified as RET‐. After one night of familiarization with the instrumentation, measurements were collected at six different time points (one BDC, three HDT, and two R).

RESULTS

When comparing RET+ to RET‐, subjects had: significantly less total sleep time (TST) in BDC (345 ± 25 min vs 401 ± 23 min, p < 0.05), HDT4 (303 ± 64 min vs 375 ± 20 min, p < 0.05), HDT28 (344 ± 59 min vs 407 ± 32 min, p < 0.05), and R+4 (344 ± 68 min vs 421 ± 21 min, p < 0.05); significantly less stage 2 (N2) sleep in HDT4 (157 ± 43 min vs 220 ± 9 min, p < 0.05), HDT28 (198 ± 32 min vs 256 ± 21 min, p < 0.05), and R+4 (187 ± 74 min vs 271 ± 32, p < 0.05); significantly more wake after sleep onset (WASO) in HDT4 (147 ± 85 min vs 57 ± 27 min, p < 0.05) and R+4 (134 ± 106 min vs 41 ± 12 min, p < 0.05); and a significantly reduced core body temperature amplitude at BDC (0.3 ± 0.1 deg vs 0.5 ± 0.1 deg, p < 0.05), HDT4 (0.2 ± 0.1 deg vs 0.4 ± 0.1 deg, p < 0.05), HDT28 (0.3 ± 0.1 deg vs 0.4 ± 0.1 deg, p < 0.05), and R+10 (0.3 ± 0.0 deg vs 0.4 ± 0.1 deg, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Prior to and throughout the experimental conditions, when compared to RET‐, RET+ subjects were “short” sleepers and in general had less N2 sleep, greater WASO, and had a lower amplitude of core body temperature. We conclude that insufficient sleep may predispose certain individuals to the development of retinal thickening, a finding of SANS. Objective PSG may be a potential variable to consider when determining astronaut spaceflight duration.

Support or Funding Information

NASA Human Research Program NNJ14ZSA001N

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.