Space travel can accelerate Alzheimer’s: U.S. study

[bananas]

Source: Agence France-Presse

Long journeys into deep space, including a mission to Mars, could expose astronauts to levels of cosmic radiation harmful to the brain and accelerate Alzheimer’s disease, said US research Monday.

The NASA-funded study involved bombarding mice with varied radiation doses, including levels comparable to what voyagers would experience during a mission to Mars, and seeing how the animals managed to recall objects or locations.

Mice that were exposed to radiation were far more likely to fail those tasks — suggesting neurological impairment earlier than such symptoms typically appear.

“Galactic cosmic radiation poses a significant threat to future astronauts,” said Michael O’Banion, a professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center and senior author of the study published in scientific journal Plos One.

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Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/12/31/space-travel-can-accelerate-alzheimers-u-s-study/

[bananas]

1. This research could lead to new treatments for Alzheimers. nt

[high density]

2. The media apprently does a lot of space travel

Many in the beltway seem to suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

[bananas]

5. You'll never get me into one of those things!

A beltway news story, I mean!

[bluestateguy]

3. When I was a little kid I called it "Old timers" disease

I had to be corrected several times before getting it right.

[bananas]

4. Age-related dementia

as opposed to normal dementia,
which affects us all.

[bananas]

6. Ever notice how much "Auld Lang Syne" sounds like "Alzheimer"?

Me neither!

I'm kind of drunk!

Happy New Year!

[darkangel218]

7. Your name always make me crack up :p

Bananas is the funniest name ever

[bananas]

9. Thanks! nt

[nilram]

11. Yeah. and just what's the problem with youth-in-asia??

[Marthe48]

8. We're travelling through space on a rock

Maybe they are onto something!

[formercia]

16. Which reminds me of the quip:

Why would anyone want to jump out of a perfectly good Airplane?

Put on your Tinfoil Hats to protect you from Cosmic Radiation........Good luck with that.

[Third Doctor]

10. I guess they will have to

invent some type of sheilding for the trip.

[Katashi_itto]

12. Obviously, we should also market deep space voyages to Teabaggers.

Without good shielding...

[dembotoz]

14. perhaps they already came back

would explain a lot

[formercia]

17. Anything would be an improvement.

Give them some Day-old Tea as a going-away present.

[olddad56]

13. if galactic cosmic radiation is the cause, it would make sense to me that without an ozone...

we shouldn't have to leave the planet to experience this.

[MindPilot]

15. Might explain many Americans' inability

to understand history or spell.

[AlphaCentauri]

18. No wonder when I forget something

everybody tell me -you are in the moon-

[Kablooie]

19. Does this mean I should delay my trip to Alpha Centari?

[jim1945tnnc]

20. no space travel for me, I suppose

But then again, I don't even have to funds to do so. Oh well.

[rug]

22. Who does?

Reminds me of another poster who kept asking for "beer and travel money", lol.

Welcome to DU!

[daleo]

21. It makes me wonder about air travel

Pilots and frequent fliers might also have elevated risks, even though x-ray dosages would be much less severe.