ANOMALOUS LONG-TERM EFFECTS IN ASTRONAUTS' CENTRAL NERVOUS
SYSTEM (ALTEA)
Research Area: Radiation Impacts on Humans
Expeditions: 13- 15
Principal Investigator(s): ● Livio Narici, PhD, University of Roma Tor Vergata and INFN
Roma2, Rome, Italy
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Anomalous Long-term Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System (ALTEA) integrates several
diagnostic technologies to measure the effect of the exposure of crew members to cosmic
radiation. ALTEA improves the understanding of the impact that radiation has on the human
central nervous system functions and will study the flashes from cosmic radiation that
astronauts have reported since the Apollo flights. It also provides an assessment of the
radiation environment in the International Space Station (ISS).
EARTH BENEFITS
Data provided from ALTEA lead to
further understanding of how
radiation may affect brain
function on Earth as well as in
space. While the levels of heavy
ion radiation are much higher in
space than on Earth, any
understanding into the way
radiation may alter brain function
is extremely useful to
neuroscientists. Ion therapies to
treat brain tumors benefit from
the ALTEA results.SPACE BENEFITS
Crew members from Apollo missions onward have reported seeing unexplained light flashes
(phosphenes), which were attributed to abnormal brain function caused by space radiation.
Outside the protection of Earth's magnetic shield, ISS crew members are exposed to increased
radiation, but the radiation environment is even more severe as exploration crews leave Earth's
geomagnetic field and transit to other planets. The tests conducted using the ALTEA hardware
help scientists characterize how the heavy ion radiation of space impacts the brain and whether
or not that radiation causes any temporary or permanent abnormalities in the brain function
and the visual system in particular.
RESULTS
Since the Apollo flights to the moon, it has been known that most astronauts experience
sudden visual light flashes during spaceflight. Described in early reports as occurring in darkness
ISS128E007282 – View of astronaut Tim Copra with the Anomalous
Long Term Effects in Astronauts' Central Nervous System (ALTEA)
Silicon Detector kit in U.S. Laboratory Destiny.