Post by LIT on May 2, 2015 14:57:55 GMT
No one assumed traveling to Mars would be a particularly safe task, with space debris and supply shortages weighing on the minds of those brave enough to leave Earth. But another danger has now been revealed – cosmic rays which threaten brain damage.
According to neuroscientists, the rays that permeate space can change the structure of neurons in the brain after long periods of exposure. This can result in dementia-like impairments.
In a study funded by NASA, mice exposed to highly energetic charged particles – such as those found in galactic cosmic rays – showed declines in cognition and damage to neurons and the synapses where nerve impulses are sent and received.
According to Charles Limoli, a University of California-Irvine radiation oncology professor, humans would “without a doubt” face the same issues as the mice, because the particles in cosmic rays can travel through spacecraft and into astronauts' bodies
Cosmic rays could cause brain damage to Mars astronauts
A Trip to Mars Could Give You Brain Damage
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According to neuroscientists, the rays that permeate space can change the structure of neurons in the brain after long periods of exposure. This can result in dementia-like impairments.
In a study funded by NASA, mice exposed to highly energetic charged particles – such as those found in galactic cosmic rays – showed declines in cognition and damage to neurons and the synapses where nerve impulses are sent and received.
According to Charles Limoli, a University of California-Irvine radiation oncology professor, humans would “without a doubt” face the same issues as the mice, because the particles in cosmic rays can travel through spacecraft and into astronauts' bodies
Cosmic rays could cause brain damage to Mars astronauts
A Trip to Mars Could Give You Brain Damage
Uh Oh: Space Radiation Could Cause Brain Damage for Mars Astronauts