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Charleston, SC, January 24, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –
Today, more people are ready to explore the space than ever before; those who will suffer the effects of microgravity on the human body. Recognizing the need for more data on these effects, neuroradiologist Donna Roberts, MD, of the Medical University of South Carolina, and co-author, Lonnie G. Petersen, MD, Ph.D., University of California in San Diego, published "The study of hydrocephalus badociated with long-term space flight (HALS) provides new information on cerebrospinal fluid flow," in the January 23 online publication of JAMA Neurology.
Roberts, who had previously published an innovative research study on the subject in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2017, and Petersen remains concerned about the lack of data describing the adaptation of the human brain to microgravity and advocates for Further research on long-term space flight hydrocephalus (HALS).
"Exposure to the space environment has permanent effects on humans that we just do not understand. The astronauts' experience in the space needs to be mitigated in order to make the audience safer in the space, "Roberts said. "Just like in Stanley Kubrick's" 2001: Space Odyssey, "HALS may be a normal response of the brain to spaceflights, or else HALS may prove harmful and corrective measures will need to be developed to protect the long-term brain health of astronauts and space explorers. "
Previous findings by Roberts and his team have shown significant changes in brain structure during long-term space flight, with the frontal and parietal lobes (responsible for body movement and upper executive functions) being the most important affected. The longer an astronaut stayed in space, the worse the symptoms. Its recent JAMA publication recalls the urgency of the HALS study, private space exploration companies planning trips to Mars, and NASA's Mars Expedition scheduled for 2033. In this article, Roberts and Petersen explain that HALS is not suitable. in any of the badociated, but different, clinical conditions involving cerebrospinal fluid observed on Earth. The ALS cause remains unknown and, for Roberts and Petersen, understanding of this condition is of paramount importance for the safety of human space travel.
"We know that these long flights cost astronauts and cosmonauts a lot of money. However, we do not know if the adverse effects on the body continue to progress or stabilize after a certain time in space, "said Roberts. "We need to know if HALS represents an adaptive response or a pathological process that needs to be mitigated, perhaps by simulated gravity. All of our astronauts should have tests and studies to monitor what's going on in their brains before and immediately after a space flight, with long-term monitoring and surveillance. The HALS study will provide new insights into the effects of gravitational stress on the brain and improve our understanding not only of this phenomenon, but also of similar brain fluid disorders on Earth. "
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About MUSC
Founded in 1824 in Charleston, the South Carolina Medical University is the oldest medical school in the South. MUSC continues today the tradition of excellence in education, research and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and 700 residents at six colleges (dentistry, graduate school, health professions, medicine, nursing and pharmacy) and employs nearly 14,000 people, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. . As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have annual collective budgets in excess of $ 2.6 billion, with an annual economic impact of more than $ 3.8 billion and annual higher research funding to $ 275 million. MUSC operates an 800-bed medical center, which includes a nationally-recognized children's hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive and oncology diseases), the Hollings Cancer Center (designated by the National Cancer Institute), the Level I Trauma Center, Institute of Psychiatry, and the only transplant center of the state. In 2018, for the fourth year in a row, U.S. News & World Report named MUSC Health the # 1 hospital in South Carolina. For more information on academic programs or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on inpatient services, visit muschealth.org.
Heather wool Medical University of South Carolina 843-792-7669 [email protected]
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