Short Title:
CBS VNSCOR #1- Mechanisms of Radiation-Induced Neurobehavioral Deficits (Davis)
Responsible HRP Element:
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
Collaborating Org(s):
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Human Health Countermeasures (HHC) Element |
Space Radiation (SR) Element |
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Funding Status:
Active - Currently funded and in progress
Procurement Mechanism(s):
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Aims:
Nelson/Davis Virtual NSCOR: Revised Specific Aims: This research builds on previous studies that demonstrated that proton and HZE exposures result in individual differences in deficits in sustained attention, but more general deficits in recognition memory. This current project is combined with "Responses to the Nervous System to Chronic, Low Dosed Charged Particle Irradiation" (PI: Nelson)(See below)
Aim 1a: This aim proposes to investigate the time-course of radiation-induced deficits in sustained attention and social processing following protracted exposure to the five-ion galactic cosmic ray (GCR) simulation (total
dose: 0.5 Gy).
Aim 1b: This aim proposes to investigate the time-course of radiation-induced deficits in sustained attention and social processing following protracted exposure to the heavy ions only in the “five-ion” galactic cosmic ray (GCR) simulation. Thus, these exposures will include protracted exposures to 4He, 28Si, 16O, and 56Fe only (total dose: 0.5 Gy).
Aim 1c: This aim proposes to investigate the time-course of radiation-induced deficits in sustained attention and social processing following protracted exposure to protons (total dose: 0.5 Gy).
Aim 1d: This aim proposes to investigate the time-course of radiation-induced deficits in sustained attention and social processing following acute exposure to 4He ions (250 MeV/ n) at two different exposure doses (5 and 25 cGy).
Aim 2a: This aim proposes to investigate the time course of neuronal and other molecular markers following exposure to the GCR simulation (Aim 1a-c) and 4He exposure (Aim 1d). The time points for testing include: 7 days, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months post-irradiation.
Aim 2b: This aim proposes to investigate the effects of silencing the regions of the medial prefrontal cortex, including the prelimbic, infralimbic, and anterior cingulate cortices, on sustained attention and social processing in order to determine possible mechanisms of radiation-induced changes in these behaviors.
Category:
Risk Characterization, Quantification
Subcategory:
Evidence or Risk Characterization
Description:
- Assess the effects of acute and fractionated HZE exposures on cognitive domains relevant to astronaut performance (e.g., attention, social cognition).
- Examine the effects of other space flight factors in combination with HZE exposure on neurobehavioral performance.
- Assess the effects of HZE exposure on neuronal activation in behavioral task-specific brain regions, including the mPFC, a region important for numerous cognitive domains and executive function.
- Determine the severity of HZE induced deficits by comparing them to pharmacogenetic silencing of the different subregions of the mPFC
Internal Customers:
Human Factors and Behavioral Performance
Human Health Countermeasures
Space Radiation
External Customers:
None