Figure 1
Overview of potential project roles suggested for each study participant.
Table 1
Focused list of cardiovascular- and microgravity-relevant search terms.
| TIME | OUTCOME | POPULATION | INTERVENTIONS | COMPARISON | STUDY DESIGN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950-present | Cardiac Measurements Cardiac output Left ventricular mass Pressure Blood pressure Mean arterial pressure Vasculature Arterial stiffness Blood volume Heart Rate Heart rate variability Respiratory rate | Humans Astronaut Cosmonaut Rodents Primates | Actual microgravity Space flight Weightlessness Parabolic flight Simulated microgravity Dry immersion Head down tilt Hindlimb suspension | Pre-flight Ground control In flight centrifuge control | Review Experimental |
Figure 2
PRISMA diagram for the literature search.
Table 2
Project lecture division.
| LECTURE | LECTURER | LECTURE TOPICS |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Space Science | SVK and ASN | How is space research done, historically and in the present time |
| Introduction to Cardiovascular Physiology | ASN | Components of the cardiovascular system; Cardiovascular research |
| Project Structure | SVK and MN | Study motivation; Project goals; Project roles; Project timeline |
| Knowledge Synthesis Methodologies | MN | Generating research questions; Literature search; Inclusion/Exclusion criteria; Title/Abstract screening |
| Covidence Software | SVK and MN | Screening tools, Screening practice |
Figure 3
Citizen science recruitment demographics. Top left: Geographical location of members. Bottom left: Educational background level of members. Right: Educational background of members who continued (red) or not (blue) with the project, expressed as the percentage of the total for each group.
Table 3
Screening uncertainties.
| UNCERTAINTY | IDENTIFICATION | DEFINITION | RESOLUTION |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parabolic flight versus commercial flight | Trends with “Maybe” decisions | Must include “parabolic” in the abstract/methods | Additional screening workshops |
| What is actual spaceflight/actual microgravity? | Questions from citizen scientists directly | Any study that went to space/parabolic flights (regardless of reported cardiovascular outcome) | Modification of inclusion criteria |
| Levels of gravity (partial to hyper) | Project leadership screening | Partial gravity = <1g – include; Hyper gravity = >1g – exclude | Clarification of inclusion/exclusion criteria |
| Austere environment studies | Project leadership screening | Isolation/confinement studies were excluded | Clarification of exclusion criteria |
Figure 4
Left: Screening time before and after individual instruction. Right: Screening by participants. Shaded area denotes contribution by McGill team.
Figure 5
Full text article division amongst desired subgroups.