A new study has found
that prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation could increase the risk of
developing neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
The findings raise questions about the dangers associated with
future manned missions to Mars.
According to Dr. M. Kerry O‘Banion and his research team at the
University of Rochester Medical Center, astronauts of the future, those
taking long journeys to Mars or the Asteroid Belt, may have have even more to
worry about.
''In addition to the known risks that are already out in space
including potential risks of cancer or other kinds of problems such as
cataracts that have already been reported in radiation experiments like ours,
there is also the potential that you could exacerbate neuro-degenerative
disease," stated Dr. M. Kerry O‘Banion
The researchers exposed lab mice to high levels of cosmic
radiation, the amount an astronaut would be exposed to over the three years it
would take to get to Mars, and then measured their cognitive ability.
The mice failed cognitive tasks more regularly and began showing
signs of Alzheimer's disease.
But a trip to Mars doesn‘t mean an inevitable case of
Alzheimer's. O‘Banion says researchers plan to look at how to mitigate the
impact of radioactive particles.
Currently, NASA has plans for a manned mission to an asteroid in
2021 and a trip toMars scheduled for 2035.