Space Habitation and Life Support | Open Access Articles

Reduced Set-Shifting Processing Speed In Male Rats Following Low Dose (10 Cgy) Proton Exposure, Hui Ho Vanessa Chang, Gyutae Kim, Kyu-Sung Kim, Richard A. Britten

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

Space radiation (SR) exposure poses significant biomedical risks, including effects on the central nervous system (CNS). These risks are particularly relevant to cognitive function during long-duration space missions. One critical cognitive skill is decision-making, which requires attentional set-shifting (ATSET)—the ability to quickly assess problems, evaluate options, and select the best actions. Previous studies have shown that exposure to However, the impact of low LET (< 1 keV/μm) protons, which significantly contribute to the total radiation flux astronauts encounter within spacecraft, on ATSET performance is unknown. To address this gap, we evaluated the effects of cranial irradiation with 10 cGy of 100 MeV/n protons (LET = 0.732 keV/μm) on ATSET performance in male Sprague-Dawley rats. We also investigated whether concurrent exposure to variable gravity (hypergravity step-up, step down, purported to have the same effect as exposure to microgravity (another major spaceflight stressor) exacerbated SR-induced cognitive deficits. Our findings indicate that proton exposure alone significantly impaired ATSET performance, as evidenced by decreased processing speed while performing compound discrimination reversal and extra-dimensional shifting. Notably, no additive or synergistic effects were observed when hypergravity was combined with proton exposure. The impact that low-dose proton exposure has on CNS functionality, particularly in reducing processing speed during complex tasks, warrant further investigation. If similar cognitive deficits were to occur in astronauts exposed to galactic cosmic rays, mission success and safety could be significantly compromised.

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Neuroinflammatory Signaling And Immune Cell Infiltration Differ In Brains Of Rats Exposed To Space Radiation And Social Isolation, Austin M. Adkins, Zachary N. M. Luyo, Alea F. Boden, Riley S. Heerbrandt, Richard A. Britten, Laurie L. Wellman, Larry D. Sanford

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

Astronauts on the proposed Mars missions will be exposed to extended periods of social isolation (SI) and space radiation (SR). SI and SR-induced immune dysregulation can result in persistent neuroinflammation and neuronal damage which could negatively impact an astronaut’s health and ability to maintain adequate levels of performance. The synergistic effects of combined SI and SR on immune system functionality and the brain remain unknown. Determining how single and combined inflight stressors modulate the immune system is crucial for fully understanding pathways impacting astronaut health and performance. We used ground-based analogs of SI and SR in rodent models to investigate …

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Sex-Dependent Changes In Risk-Taking Predisposition Of Rats Following Space Radiation Exposure, Elliot Smits, Faith E. Reid, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Alvarado Arriaga, Charles Nguyen, Richard A. Britten

Department Radiation Oncology & Biophysics Faculty Publications

The Artemis missions will establish a sustainable human presence on the Moon, serving as a crucial steppingstone for future Mars exploration. Astronauts on these ambitious missions will have to successfully complete complex tasks, which will frequently involve rapid and effective decision making under unfamiliar or high-pressure conditions. Exposure to low doses of space radiation (SR) can impair key executive functions critical to decision making. This study examined the effects of exposure to 10 cGy of Galactic Cosmic Ray simulated radiation (GCRsim) on decision-making performance in male and female rats with a naturally low predisposition for risk-taking (RTP) prior to exposure. …

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A Two-Hit Model Of Executive Dysfunction: Simulated Galactic Cosmic Radiation Primes Latent Deficits Revealed By Sleep Fragmentation, Richard A. Britten, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Arriaga Alvarado, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Larry D. Sanford

Department Radiation Oncology & Biophysics Faculty Publications

Future Artemis-class missions to Mars will expose astronauts to prolonged space radiation (SR), sleep disruption, and operational demands requiring greater autonomy, placing decision making and executive function at heightened risk. Both SR and sleep fragmentation (SF) independently impair cognition, yet their combined effects remain poorly understood. Using the Associative Recognition Memory and Interference (ARMIT) task, we assessed cognitive performance in male rats exposed to 10 cGy of Galactic Cosmic Ray simulation (GCRsim), SF, or both. Under well-rested conditions, GCRsim-exposed rats exhibited overt deficits in the C.1.2 stage, performing at chance when reinforcement contingencies shifted, consistent with impaired cognitive flexibility. In …

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Different Spectrum Of Space Radiation Induced Cognitive Impairments In Radiation-Naïve And Adapted Rats, Richard A. Britten, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Alyssa Tidmore, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola A. Alvarado-Arriaga

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

NASA's decision to resume manned deep space mission, first to the Moon and then Mars, necessitated a detailed assessment of the potential health effects that astronauts may experience on long-duration missions. Multiple studies suggest that there may be significant space radiation (SR)-induced impairment of neurocognitive processes, including advanced executive functions. However, given the multitude of SR-induced changes in the CNS, it is possible that completely different SR-induced sequelae will be induced in previously exposed individuals. Thus, current risk estimates are likely to be pertinent only for the early stages of a deep space mission, and even then only for astronauts …

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Exposure To Low (10 Cgy) Doses Of ⁴He Ions Leads To An Apparent Increase In Risk Taking Propensity In Female Rats, Nina Li, Simran Phuyal, Elliot Smits, Faith E. Reid, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Alvarado Arriaga, Richard A. Britten

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

The planned missions to the Moon and Mars will present more significant health challenges to astronauts compared to low earth orbit missions. During deep space missions, astronauts will be constantly exposed to Space radiation (SR). Multiple rodent studies suggest that < 25 cGy of SR impairs performance in executive functions, which play a key role in advanced cognitive processes, but also regulate response inhibition and impulse control. There is the possibility that SR exposure may exacerbate aberrant behaviors evoked by psychological stress related to exposure to isolated and confined (ICE) hostile environment or independently induce additional aberrant behaviors. This study has determined that female Wistar rats exposed to 10 cGy of 250 MeV/n He had an increased risk taking propensity (RTP)\compared to shams. The increased RTP of the He-exposed rats was associated with significantly increased reaction times during the trials, suggesting a SR-induced loss of processing speed. The response times of the He-exposed rats were even further reduced in trials that immediately followed a loss, raising the possibility that conflict and interference avoidance may be impaired after SR exposure. Whether these findings occur following other types of SR exposure, and/or in male rats remains to be determined.

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Comparative Analysis Of Electrodynamic Toroidal Radiation Shielding Configurations, Max Rosenberg

Master's Theses

Beyond the protective confines of Earth's atmosphere and magnetosphere, spacecraft are subject to constant bombardment by high-energy charged particles originating from our Sun in the form of Solar Particle Events (SPEs), and from outside the solar system in the form of Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs). The harm these particles do can be reduced or mitigated outright through radiation shielding. Because protons and other charged particles comprise most of these radiation particles, strong magnetic fields could be generated around spacecraft to deflect incoming charged radiation particles. This thesis investigates the performance of specific configurations of toroidal superconducting solenoids to generate magnetic …

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Astronaut Eva Exposure Estimates From Cad Model Spacesuit Geometry, Giovanni De Angelis, Brooke M. Anderson, William Atwell, John E. Nealy, Gary D. Qualls, John W. Wilson

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Ongoing assembly and maintenance activities at the International Space Station (ISS) require much more extravehicular activity (EVA) than did the earlier U.S. Space Shuttle missions. It is thus desirable to determine and analyze, and possibly foresee, as accurately as possible what radiation exposures crew members involved in EVAs will experience in order to minimize risks and to establish exposure limits that must not to be exceeded. A detailed CAD model of the U.S. Space Shuttle EVA Spacesuit, developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC), is used to represent the directional shielding of an astronaut; it has detailed helmet and backpack …

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Lunar Lava Tube Radiation Safety Analysis, Giovanni De Angelis, J. W. Wilson, M. S. Clowdsley, J. E. Nealy, D. H. Humes, J. M. Clem

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

For many years it has been suggested that lava tubes on the Moon could provide an ideal location for a manned lunar base, by providing shelter from various natural hazards, such as cosmic radiation, meteorites, micrometeoroids, and impact crater ejecta, and also providing a natural environmental control, with a nearly constant temperature, unlike that of the lunar surface showing extreme variation in its diurnal cycle. An analysis of radiation safety issues on lunar lava tubes has been performed by considering radiation from galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and Solar Particle Events (SPE) interacting with the lunar surface, modeled as a regolith …

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Full-Text Articles in Space Habitation and Life Support

Reduced Set-Shifting Processing Speed In Male Rats Following Low Dose (10 Cgy) Proton Exposure, Hui Ho Vanessa Chang, Gyutae Kim, Kyu-Sung Kim, Richard A. Britten

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

Neuroinflammatory Signaling And Immune Cell Infiltration Differ In Brains Of Rats Exposed To Space Radiation And Social Isolation, Austin M. Adkins, Zachary N. M. Luyo, Alea F. Boden, Riley S. Heerbrandt, Richard A. Britten, Laurie L. Wellman, Larry D. Sanford

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

Sex-Dependent Changes In Risk-Taking Predisposition Of Rats Following Space Radiation Exposure, Elliot Smits, Faith E. Reid, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Alvarado Arriaga, Charles Nguyen, Richard A. Britten

Department Radiation Oncology & Biophysics Faculty Publications

A Two-Hit Model Of Executive Dysfunction: Simulated Galactic Cosmic Radiation Primes Latent Deficits Revealed By Sleep Fragmentation, Richard A. Britten, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Arriaga Alvarado, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Larry D. Sanford

Department Radiation Oncology & Biophysics Faculty Publications

Different Spectrum Of Space Radiation Induced Cognitive Impairments In Radiation-Naïve And Adapted Rats, Richard A. Britten, Arriyam S. Fesshaye, Alyssa Tidmore, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola A. Alvarado-Arriaga

Center for Integrative Neuroscience and Inflammatory Diseases (CINID) Faculty Publications

Exposure To Low (10 Cgy) Doses Of ⁴He Ions Leads To An Apparent Increase In Risk Taking Propensity In Female Rats, Nina Li, Simran Phuyal, Elliot Smits, Faith E. Reid, Ella N. Tamgue, Paola Alvarado Arriaga, Richard A. Britten

Department of Medicine Faculty Publications

Comparative Analysis Of Electrodynamic Toroidal Radiation Shielding Configurations, Max Rosenberg

Master's Theses

Astronaut Eva Exposure Estimates From Cad Model Spacesuit Geometry, Giovanni De Angelis, Brooke M. Anderson, William Atwell, John E. Nealy, Gary D. Qualls, John W. Wilson

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications

Lunar Lava Tube Radiation Safety Analysis, Giovanni De Angelis, J. W. Wilson, M. S. Clowdsley, J. E. Nealy, D. H. Humes, J. M. Clem

Mathematics & Statistics Faculty Publications