Cosmic radiation can cause Alzheimer’s?
Fireworks explode over the London Eye (above) and the Quadriga on the Brandenburg Gate (below, left) in Berlin on Tuesday.
Space travel may harm the brain of an astronaut as exposure to galactic cosmic radiation could trigger Alzheimer’s, a new study has claimed.
The race for space tourism may be hotting up, but the practicalities of intergalactic travel have hit a new obstacle as research for the first time showed that radiation exposure in space can lead to cognitive problems.
The earth’s magnetic field generally protects the planet and people in low earth orbit from these cosmic radiation, but once astronauts leave orbit they are exposed to constant shower of various radioactive particles, the Daily Mail reported.
“Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts. The possibility that radiation exposure in space may give rise to health problems such as cancer has long been recognised,” senior author of the study, Professor Kerry O’Banion from the University of Rochester Medical Centre (URMC) department of neurobiology and anatomy said.
“However, 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,” O’Banion said.
Tests on mice with models of Alzheimer’s showed that after they were exposed to various doses of radiation, including levels comparable to what astronauts would be experience during a mission to Mars, they were far more likely to fail these tasks — suggesting neurological impairment — earlier than these symptoms would typically appear. The brains of the mice also showed signs of vascular alterations and a greater than normal accumulation of the protein “plaque” that accumulates in the brain and is one of the hallmarks of the disease.
“These findings clearly suggest that exposure to radiation in space has the potential to accelerate the development of Alzheimer’s disease,” said O’Banion.
“This is yet another factor that Nasa, which is clearly concerned about the health risks to its astronauts, will need to take into account as it plans future missions,” O’Banion added.
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