Astronauts are subjected to harmful cosmic radiation … – Health News .net

 

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The exposure to radiation such as cosmic rays damage the central nervous system and causes permanent cognitive impairment, according to experiments on mice.

“It ‘ is not good news for astronauts who make a journey of two to three years round trip to Mars, “said Charles Limoli, the University of California at Irvine, lead author of the research published Friday in the journal Science Advances.

Deficits of memory, loss of consciousness and difficulty concentrating

“The decline in work capacity, memory deficits and loss of consciousness and concentration difficulties for space flights could affect the core activities of the mission, “he explains, adding that” these cosmic radiation could impair the cognitive abilities of astronauts for life. “

this research the scientists subjected mice to radiation of high energy particles at Brookhaven National Laboratory (New York, Northeast).

They found that these radiations caused an inflammation in the brain rodents that disrupted the transmission of nerve signals. Scans revealed how the brain of the communications network was affected by reductions in neuron structure.

Impairments of synapses that connect neurons, combined with other structural changes have interfered with the ability of nerve cells to efficiently transmit electrochemical signals, the researchers explain. These phenomena corresponded to a decrease in performance in various assessment tests and learning ability to memorize.

A mission to Mars would be sufficient for such symptoms appear

Although such cognitive deficits in astronauts will not manifest for several months, the duration of a mission to Mars would be sufficient for such symptoms appear, according to Dr. Limoli.

But, says Does it, astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS), which stays of six months, are not exposed to as great intensity because they are protected by the Earth’s magnetosphere. The orbital outpost moves between 350 and 400 km altitude.

The particles forming cosmic rays are supernovae remnants of ancient, giant explosions marking the death of a star. The work of Dr. Limoli are part of NASA’s research program on the effects of prolonged space flight on humans in preparation for future manned missions to Mars.

One solution would be for spacecraft include the protection zones strengthened against cosmic radiation including resting places, said researchers.