It won't be long before the conversation about space travel turns to the impact on the human body. Our bodies have evolved to exist on Earth with a constant 1G force acting on them, but in orbit, suddenly that force is apparently missing. The impact of this is well known; Loss of muscle mass and reduced bone density, but there are effects of space flight. Cosmic radiation from the galaxy also has an impact on cognition, an effect that has recently been studied in mice!
When an object like the space station is in orbit around the Earth, it is in a state known as free fall. This means that it is constantly falling towards the Earth, but the curvature of the Earth is constantly moving away from it. In other words, it falls constantly but never reaches the ground. This state means that any person or thing inside the space station would also fall at the same rate, but would feel as if they were floating. Loss of muscle mass and reduced bone density are the well-known impacts of such an environment, but there is more that awaits a space traveler.
Galactic cosmic radiation (GCR) is made up of energy from sources outside our Solar System. They usually come from supernova explosions and other energetic events in deep space. GCR particles are mostly protons and electrons along with some heavier nuclei. They can penetrate our atmosphere, but Earth's magnetic field offers some protection to those on the surface. For those venturing into space, things are a little less rosy because GCR can have a big impact on astronauts.
GCR is a real problem for longer space explorations, such as trips to Mars, since radiation can currently pass through the shielding of spacecraft and be a real threat to human health. Studies to date have shown that GCR can affect the cognitive abilities of mice in the short term, but a new study paints a much bleaker picture. The article published in the Journal of Neurochemistry reports that exposure to GCR can also have long-lasting effects.
Surprisingly, the team studied the impact on male and female mice by subjecting them to a multiparticle spectrum GCR similar to the radiation that would be experienced on a deep space mission. The experiment was carried out at Brookhaven National Laboratory, where a beam of 33 ions was used to simulate radiation from space. The team found that radiation impaired numerous functions of the central nervous system, from memory, pattern separation (when the brain minimizes the overlap between patterns of neural activity that represent similar experiences), anxiety, vigilance, and social novelty ( tendency to spend time with a previously unknown mouse). instead of a familiar mouse!) and motor controls.
The discovery that the impact on females was more pronounced was unexpected, but the team also established that mice that were fed an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory drug known as CDDO-EA were less affected. The findings will be of immediate benefit to space exploration, but will also help us understand the long-term impact of radiation on our cognition.
Fountain : Can cosmic radiation in outer space affect astronauts' long-term cognition?
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