Development of the Digital Astronaut Project for the analysis of the mechanisms of physiologic adaptation to microgravity: Validation of the cardiovascular system module

The physiologic adaptation of humans to the microgravity environment is complex and requires an integrative perspective to fully understand the mechanisms involved. A large computer model of human systems physiology provides the framework for the development of the Digital Astronaut to be used by NASA in the analysis of adaptive mechanisms. While project expansion is ongoing to include all relevant systems, we describe the validation results of the cardiovascular phase of model development. The cardiovascular aspects of the model were validated by benchmark comparisons to published literature findings of changes in left ventricular mass, right atrial pressure and plasma volumes. Computer simulations using the model predicted microgravity induced changes in the target endpoints within statistical validity of experimental findings. Therefore, the current cardiovascular portion of the Digital Astronaut Project computer model appears to accurately predict observed microgravity induced physiologic adaptations. The ongoing process of model development to include all spaceflight relevant systems will require similar validations.