To observe the changes in the brain that can occur with astronauts en route to the Red Planet, researchers exposed mice to charged particles, like those found in galactic cosmic rays. And unfortunately, it was found that exposure to space radiation can put at risk astronauts related to cognitive problems, such as loss of the ability to solve problems. The work was published in Science this week Advances
Without the protective magnetosphere of the Earth, highly energetic charged particles from galactic cosmic rays -. The remains of the last supernova explosions – undoubtedly bombardearão and will penetrate in any spacecraft that will be going to Mars. To find out what happens to the brain during an interplanetary trip, a team led by Charles Limoli the University of California, Irvine, put rats in the way of a single high-energy radiation beam – fully ionized from oxygen and titanium in NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory.
This is one of the most dangerous types of space radiation that you would expect on a trip with more than 860 days. The team also put the mice at a dose of radiation that is equivalent to about six trips
The remnant of the supernova IC 443, also known as the Jellyfish Nebula. r supernova emanescentes produce cosmic rays / Photo NASA / DOE / Fermi LAT, NOAO / AURA / NSF, JPL-Caltech / UCL
The rats were genetically engineered to have bright neurons. So the team was able to see changes in their brains. Six weeks after exposure to radiation, the irradiated mice had fewer dendritic synapses – the ramifications that come out of neurons and transmit electrochemical signals. The charged particles broke the right ramifications. The loss was previously linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
To see how this disturbance in the signal transmission cognition is affected, the team conducted tests of learning and memory in mice in the laboratory. They put the mice in a box full of toys, and then after a while they swapped toys reversing their order. Compared to the controlled rats, mice “stunt astronauts” were not so curious in new and unexpected situations, getting totally confused.
In humans, these neural changes can impair spatial reasoning and the ability to recall information. “This is not a good news for astronauts who are training for a round-trip mission to Mars by NASA,” Limoli reports in a press release.
However, this research does not mean that manned missions to Mars will be impossible. The increased shielding spacecraft and helmets can protect the brain astronaut and Limoli and other researchers are working on drugs compounds that could eliminate free radicals to protect neurotransmission.
Source : Science Advances
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