Leiden neurologists doing research in space
The only Dutch experiment that astronaut André Kuipers will be carrying out in space comes from the Neurology department of the LUMC. The researchers, Dr Alla Vein and the group of Professor Michel Ferrari, have been studying headaches in space for a number of years.
Headaches
The first results of the study on ‘astronaut headaches’ appeared in June 2009 in Cephalalgia. This publication received much international media attention. The researchers then studied headaches under artificial zero-gravity conditions in so-called Bed Rest Studies. These multi-centre studies, led by the ESA, mostly take place in Toulouse and Cologne.
Imitating zero-gravity
Volunteers lie in bed with their head tipped backwards, in order to imitate zero-gravity conditions on earth. The ultimate dream of the researchers is coming true now that they are given a chance to investigate the characteristics and prevention of this type of headache during a real space mission. For symbolic reasons, a Dutch astronaut was chosen as the first person to carry out the only Dutch experiment.
Soyuz
The spacecraft will be launched from the Russian Cosmodrome of Baikonur in Kazakhstan. Dutchman André Kuipers, Russian Oleg Kononenko and American Don Pettit will be launched in the direction of the International Space Station using a Soyuz spacecraft. The astronauts are currently training at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Star City in Russia and the European Astronaut Centre in Cologne.
Collecting data
All researchers come to these centres to collect scientific data before and after the flight. For this reason, Leiden neurologist Alla Vein was already in Cologne in October, together with the other European researchers. After 169 days (half a year), the data will be analysed.
(7 December 2011/Source: LUMC)
Links
Research Programme Neurology 1 at LUMC
Research Area Brain function and dysfunction over the lifespan