The following investigators are included in Campaign 3C:

Maintenance of Skeletal Muscle Mass and Function During Bed Rest.
PI: Arny A. Ferrando, PhD, Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas

Gender Differences in Bed Rest: Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Changes and Vascular Responses in Lower and Upper Extremities.
PI: Jan Meck, PhD, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Campaign 3D
Campaign 3D began in the winter of 2006/2007 and continues the collection of Standard measures data, control data for the investigators proposing potential countermeasures to orthostatic intolerance. The campaign is being conducted under standard conditions with controlled diet and began with an 11- to 13-day ambulatory phase immediately followed by a 90-day period of strict 6-degree head-down tilt and a 14-day period of post-bed rest reconditioning and testing. The subject complement for this campaign was 1 female and 4 male subjects. This campaign is being run concurrently with Campaign 5B as described below.

Campaign 3D is currently in progress.

The following investigators are included in Campaign 3D:

Retention of Skeletal, Musculature and Postural Status with a Non-Invasive, Extremely Low-Level Mechanical Signal: A Ground-Based Evaluation of Efficacy.
PI: Clinton T. Rubin, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2580

Gender Differences in Bed Rest: Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Changes and Vascular Responses in Lower and Upper Extremities.
PI: Jan Meck, PhD, NASA Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

Image right: Test subject receiving vibration treatment during bed rest.

Campaign 5A
Campaign 5A began in the spring of 2006 and continued the collection of Standard Measures data, control data for the investigators proposing potential countermeasures to orthostatic intolerance and the evaluation of vibration as a countermeasure to prevent bone loss. The campaign is being conducted under standard conditions with controlled diet and began with an 11- to 13-day ambulatory phase immediately followed by a 90-day period of strict 6-degree head-down tilt and a 14-day period of post-bed rest reconditioning and testing.

Investigators participating in this campaign included:

Retention of Skeletal, Musculature and Postural Status with a Non-Invasive, Extremely Low-Level Mechanical Signal: A Ground-Based Evaluation of Efficacy.
PI: Clinton T. Rubin, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2580

Bone loss during spaceflight is one of the major challenges for missions to the Moon and Mars. A recently published study of International Space Station crew members found that, on average, crew members lost bone density in the hip at the rate of 1.6 to 2.7 percentage per month. Earth-based animal and human studies have demonstrated that extremely low magnitude mechanical loading, if imposed at a high frequency, is strongly anabolic to the musculoskeletal skeleton and can serve as a countermeasure to age-, endocrine- or disuse-induced bone loss. This investigation evaluates a non-invasive, non-drug dependent approach that could become an effective countermeasure against bone loss caused by long-duration spaceflight. Successful assessment of a non-invasive, non-pharmacologic means not only would have tremendous impact not only in space, but would also address the bone loss that plagues over 20 million people worldwide each year on Earth.

Human subjects participating in this study will receive 10-minute daily doses of high frequency (30 Hz), low magnitude mechanical accelerations. The subjects are secured to an oscillating plate by a shoulder harness, which imparts a force of 0.6 G of the prestudy body weight of the subject, and vibration of the platform induces 0.3 G acceleration to the lower appendicular and axial skeleton.

Subjects will undergo DEXA, QCT, and ultrasound measurements both pre- and post-bed rest to assess bone quantity and quality. The principal areas of interest will be right and left femurs, tibia, and calcaneus, as well as the spine (L1-4), and non-dominant radius. Testing will evaluate bone density, trabecular and cortical bone density, cortical thickness, apparent bone quality, and bone mineral density. Muscle strength, stability, and neuro-sensitivity will also be evaluated. The preservation of muscle strength and nuero-stability, as based on these mechanical signals, will provide a key to the regulatory stimulus in the maintenance of the musculoskeletal system. Efficacy will be determined based on the ability of the signal to inhibit bone loss and prevent loss of muscle power. Preliminary results from the UTMB bed rest trial on control subjects show that there is a significant loss of bone in the hip--similar to that measured during spaceflight--and that there is a marked and significant decrease in postural stability.

Campaign 5B
Campaign 5B began in the winter of 2006/2007 and continues the collection of Standard Measures data, control data for the investigators proposing potential countermeasures intolerance, and the evaluation of vibration as a countermeasure to prevent bone loss. The campaign is being conducted under standard conditions with controlled diet and began with an 11- to 13-day ambulatory phase immediately followed by a 90-day period of strict 6-degree head-down tilt and 14-days of post-bed rest reconditioning and testing.

Campaign 5B is currently in progress.

The following investigations are includedd in Campaign 5B:

Retention of Skeletal, Musculature and Postural Status with a Non-Invasive, Extremely Low-Level Mechanical Signal: A Ground-Based Evaluation of Efficacy.
PI: Clinton T. Rubin, PhD, Department of Biomedical Engineering, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11794-2580

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