National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI)

Validation of a Cephalad Fluid Shift Countermeasure: Selection of Optimal Cuff Design Followed by ICP Measurements During Extended Cuff Application: A Study in Collaboration with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute (NSBRI) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

We are currently conducting a feasibility study to determine optimal thigh cuff design using a cephalad fluid shift protocol in patients who have an intraventricular catheter (such as Ommaya reservoir) placed for the delivery of central nervous system chemotherapy or for diagnosing potential elevation of ICP. This study is in collaboration with Dr. Brandon Macias, scientist from NSBRI who is testing a device that will prevent visual impairment and intracranial pressure (VIIP) syndrome in astronauts involved in long duration space flights on the International Space Station. The current study explores a number of physiologic variables that may impact vision changes that have been reported in more than half of American astronauts after long duration space flights.