Neuroradiologist Donna Roberts, MD, and neuroscientist Badran collaborated on a project to conduct
Transcranial magnetic stimulation —a method that allows non-invasive stimulation of the cerebral cortex using short magnetic pulses. Like transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), TMS is sometimes associated with pain and should therefore be used with caution.
Dr. Roberts, in his experiment, seeksprove that TMS can be safely used in zero gravity and compare the participants' performance under the gravity of the Earth with their performance under zero gravity.
During the TMS procedure through the skull to the braina magnetic pulse is sent to stimulate electrical activity. The pulse is very localized. The medical officer places the coil over the subject's head; when the patient's thumb twitches, the scientist knows that the TMC coil is in the right place.
Here on Earth, TMS is FDA approvedFood and Drug Administration in the United States for the treatment of intractable depression. Scientists from MUSC and other organizations are also investigating the use of TMS for the treatment of PTSD. It is also used to treat addiction and pain in people who are taking opioids. And also in rehabilitation centers for stroke patients. Depression can be a problem for people on long-term missions away from Earth. Roberts and Badran are confident that TMS can be a useful and compact tool for long-term use in space missions.
Also TMS can support astronauts ingood cognitive fitness during long flights so that they are ready to get to work when they land on the Moon or Mars. But first, researchers need to figure out what a "normal" reading looks like in zero gravity.
It is already known that drugs are metabolizeddifferently when a person is in space. Astronauts taking sleeping pills need trial and error to determine the correct dosage in space, Roberts said.
A previous study by Roberts comparing MRIThe brain of astronauts before and after the flight to the International Space Station showed physical changes in the brain that correlated with changes in motor skills and cognitive abilities of astronauts.
To test the TMS in zero gravity, they had to use the Zero Gravity Corporation aircraft, which offers zero gravity flights.
The plane, dubbed the G-Force One, fliesin an arc, going up at a 45 degree angle, and then back down at a 45 degree angle. For the short 20-30 seconds between ascending and descending, everyone on the plane becomes weightless. And this only 20-30 second window was the time during which Roberts and Badran had to conduct their TMS test.
The team of volunteers Roberts and Badran consisted ofpeople from the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences with experience in administering TMS, as they all had to take turns acting as subjects and controllers. They needed people about the same age as real astronauts - about 30 years old.
Roberts and Badran knew they only had onea chance to experiment. Such flights are very expensive, and most of the research grant went to these costs. Every 20-30 seconds of zero gravity, they had to run software on their computers that would send a signal to the coil, register the twitch of the thumb, and then tell them that the TMS had worked. If he did not register a twitch of the thumb, then the system increased the power and sent another signal until the twitch was registered.
The scientists obtained at least three measurements for each person, which could be compared with several measurements taken on the ground before and after the flight.
The experimental results showed what was required in conditions of weightlessnessless electromagnetism than on Earth to cause the thumb to twitch. This suggests neurophysical changes occurring in the brain, but there are several possible explanations, ranging from physical displacement of the brain within the skull to neurons responding more strongly to stimulation.
Having proved that TMS is possible in zero gravity, scientists will continue their research into using TMS for space missions.
Read also
It is possible to create a thermonuclear reactor on Earth. What will be the consequences?
The Doomsday glacier turned out to be more dangerous than scientists thought. We tell the main thing
On day 3 of illness, most COVID-19 patients lose their sense of smell and often suffer from a runny nose