Université de Montréal

Published purpose

OCULAR RIGIDITY AS A NOVEL RISK FACTOR FOR SPACE FLIGHT-ASSOCIATED NEURO-OCULAR SYNDROME Visual impairment as a consequence of long-duration space travel is a serious challenge to human exploration. Our limited understanding of how Space Flight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome initiates during spaceflight points to fluid shifts associated with entering a microgravity environment. These changes yield ocular structural and functional alterations in a significant fraction of astronauts, not always resolved after Earth landing. We surmise that ocular rigidity, determined by the shape and elasticity of the outer layers of the eye, plays a major role in the development of the disease, and is a risk factor that can be screened in a non-invasive fashion.""