Mission to Mars could bring on Alzheimer's
Source: AFP |
January 2, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
JOURNEYS into deep space, including a mission to Mars, could expose astronauts to levels of cosmic radiation harmful to the brain and accelerate Alzheimer's disease, according to US research.
The NASA-funded study involved bombarding mice with varied radiation doses, including levels comparable to those voyagers would experience during a mission to Mars, and seeing how the animals managed to recall objects or locations.
Mice exposed to radiation were far more likely to fail those tasks - suggesting neurological impairment earlier than such symptoms typically appear.
"Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts," said Michael O'Banion, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center and senior author of the study published in scientific journal Plos One.
"This study shows for the first time that exposure to radiation levels equivalent to a mission to Mars could produce cognitive problems and speed up changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease."
NASA is planning manned missions to Mars in 2035.
While space is filled with radiation, Earth's magnetic field generally protects the planet and people in a low earth orbit. But once astronauts leave orbit they are exposed.
For the past 25 years, NASA has funded research to determine the risks of space travel, aiming to develop countermeasures and determine whether the risks might imperil missions to deep space.
The NASA-funded study involved bombarding mice with varied radiation doses, including levels comparable to those voyagers would experience during a mission to Mars, and seeing how the animals managed to recall objects or locations.
Mice exposed to radiation were far more likely to fail those tasks - suggesting neurological impairment earlier than such symptoms typically appear.
"Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts," said Michael O'Banion, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center and senior author of the study published in scientific journal Plos One.
"This study shows for the first time that exposure to radiation levels equivalent to a mission to Mars could produce cognitive problems and speed up changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer's disease."
NASA is planning manned missions to Mars in 2035.
While space is filled with radiation, Earth's magnetic field generally protects the planet and people in a low earth orbit. But once astronauts leave orbit they are exposed.
For the past 25 years, NASA has funded research to determine the risks of space travel, aiming to develop countermeasures and determine whether the risks might imperil missions to deep space.
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