Counteracting inactivity deconditioning with graded hypergravity loading: From clinical neurorehabilitation to space medicine.

BACKGROUND

Neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease result in progressive mobility restrictions, accelerating cardiovascular, muscular, and functional deconditioning. Such changes resemble the multisystem deconditioning that occurs during microgravity exposure, highlighting shared physiological consequences of reduced mechanical loading, even though the underlying mechanisms differ.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated short-arm human centrifugation (SAHC) training as a whole-body rehabilitation intervention for patients with multiple sclerosis and neurodegenerative diseases with restricted mobility.

METHODS

Twenty patients received SAHC training at 1.7-2 g for 30 min, three sessions per week, over 30 weeks. Cardiovascular parameters-cardiac output (CO, L/min), mean arterial pressure (MAP, mmHg), systolic blood pressure (SBP, mmHg), diastolic blood pressure (DBP, mmHg), stroke volume (SV, mL/beat), heart rate (HR, bpm); oxygen saturation (SpO₂, %), blood-gas indices, hematology values, handgrip strength (kg), and stance balance (CoP) were longitudinally assessed. Nonparametric repeated-measures ANOVA and Friedman tests with Wilcoxon post-hoc comparisons (Holm correction) were applied. Functional mobility was also measured with a questionnaire at baseline and after the 30weeks.

RESULTS

SAHC training produced significant longitudinal changes in CO (↑), SBP (↓), HR (↓), and MAP (↑) (all p<.001), while hematology remained stable; grip strength increased bilaterally, stance balance was preserved, and FMQ-Short scores significantly improved from baseline to the 30-week assessment

Conclusions

Artificial gravity training via short-arm centrifugation significantly improves cardiovascular performance and upper limb strength while maintaining postural stability in patients with neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases. These findings highlight AG as a promising terrestrial rehabilitation countermeasure with reciprocal applications for clinical neurorehabilitation and the mitigation of spaceflight deconditioning.