The Neurolab mission will focus much more on the function of the nervous system and the role it pays in regulating our daily lives. Sensory cells generate electrical signals in response to external stimuli. The electrical signals are sent to the brain and processed. Sometimes they are returned to the muscles or glands in order to produce the appropriate response. The semi-circular canals as well as the otolith system of the inner ear, along with other sensory organs in the muscles, joints and the skin, as well as vision, help the brain perceive motion or orientation relative to the environment.
Any angular movement causes fluids in the canals to send signals to the brain.
On Earth this information helps us to keep our balance. But in space, without gravity acting on the otolith sensor hairs, the brain gets confusing messages about body position. Anthrorak Three key components derived from ESA's Anthrorack, an adaptable medical laboratory flown for the first time on the Spacelab D2 mission in 1993, will be used on the Neurolab mission in support of the human physiology experiments. This better reflects the instantaneous blood pressure throughout the heartbeat cycle, giving doctors more detailed insight into how weightlessness is affecting an astronaut's cardiovascular system. Fluid movement within the body is a significant factor in weightlessness and understanding how the body makes adjustments is important in assisting astronauts to acclimatise more quickly.