February 24 2006 1
University of GenoaUniversity of Rome
“Tor Vergata”
Phosphenes in space and in controlled experiments in accelerator: the ALTEA findings updated
L. Narici1,4, S. Carozzo5, A. Ciccotelli1, A. De Martino2, L. Di Fino1,4, V. Brunetti1, M. Paci3, A. Rinaldi1, M. Vadrucci1,4 and W. G. Sannita5
1 Department of Physics 2 Department of Biology 3 Department of Chemical Science and Technology – University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’, Rome, Italy, 4 INFN Roma ‘Tor Vergata’, Rome, Italy; 5 DISM – University of Genova, Genova, Italy
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phopsphene in space
• Intuition in the 50’s - “It is conceivable that very densely ionizing tracks would produce small flash-like light sensations” Cornelius A. Tobias 1952
• Reports/experiments in space- Anusual flashes of light have been first reported from the Apollo 11 crew (July
1969)- following Apollo flights (12-17) - Skylab missions (1973)- Apollo - Soyuz (1974)- MIR (late 90s)- ISS (2002-today)- Shuttle flights
• Experiments on ground- many in the 70’s
perceived light flashes
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ALTEA experimental strategy
MICE
Short pulses (≤ 2 ms) of 12C (≈103 ions/pulse) are delivered on the eyeCortical and retinal potential are measured
CNSM
Particle impinging in the brain/eyes are measuredInstants of LF perception is recordedcortical and retinal potential are measured
HIT
cortical and retinal potential are measuredInstants of LF perception is recordedTherapy plan (in dose and time) is acquired
Biophys
Irradiation of rhodopsin Spectrophotometric measurements of bleaching
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ALTEA ground: MICE 1
Mice irradiation at GSI and BNL 12C beam at 250 MeV/n - 103 ions/s - 2ms per spill
• first evidence of electrophysiological signal from particle passages
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ALTEA CNSM
- Astronaut is dark adapted, relax and signals the phosphene perception with the Push Button- Particle travelling through the head are measured- EEG is measured
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phosphene counts
Year Spacecraft rate(LF/h) Z
1974 Skylab 30 -1975 ApolloSTP 29 -
1995/9 MIR 11 ≤3 + 8 +≈242002 ISS (Pirs) 6 -2007 ISS (USLab) 3 (from 0 to 12) ≤3
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particle counts
Average ion rate per minute passing through both eyes of an astronaut (with an estimation of Z and energy):
≈ 2 x 10-3 efficiencyhigher limit
≈ 4 - 500 ions/minin the brain
≈ 20 LF/7 h ≈ 5 x 10-2 LF/min with ≈ 2 x 101 ions/min
• averaged over all 7 sessions
• first measurement of the charged radiation in the eyes in space
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electrophysiological signal
ion
ratio of eye acceptance to SDS acceptance is ≈ 6.3we expect about 3-4 candidates
We found three candidates from the retinal responses
Time from the pressure of the Pushbutton [at t = 0 s] (s)
In red the ions traveling through the right eye
<t> = 0.39 ± 0.07 s
Reaction time (ms)
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ALTEA HIT 1
The Heavy Ion Therapy in GSI (Darmstadt, Germany)
Thanks to Dieter Schardt
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ALTEA HIT 2
- The patient signal the phosphene with the Push Button- Particles in the brain are controlled- EEG and ERG signals are recorded
The timing problem
Reaction time
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ALTEA HIT 3
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ALTEA HIT 4
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ALTEA: Men and Mice
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ALTEA biophys: rhodopsin activation
A model to generate phopsphenes in the retina
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ALTEA ground: MICE 2
Only light
Light + particles
.. independent path to cortex?No changes in the retinal potentials
Visual Evoked Potential (cortex)
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protons?
Loma Linda: a collaboration is startingmany patients are perceiving phosphenescolors (function of field!)smell (previously reported only once in 1986)taste
YES
Orsay: a collaboration is starting out of 40 screened patients, 24 perceived phosphenes
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Conclusions
… no real “conclusions” … just the first model + lots of new questions
- the model can be the end point for many (all?) eye - related phosphenes
- investigations on functional interactions with non-visual paths are in progress
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ALTEA team
Altamura FAvdeev S.Ball S.Ballarini F.Battistoni G.Belli F.Bencardino R.Bengin V.Benton E.Bidoli V.Bisti S.Boezio M.Bonvicini W.Brunetti V.Carlson P.Carozzo S.Casolino M.Castellini G.Ciccotelli A.Cingolani G.Cotronei V.Cucinotta F.De Martino A.DePascale M.P.Di Fino L.Ferrari A.
Fuglesang C.Furano G.Galper A.Gianelli G.Khodarovich A.Korotkov M.G.Iwase H.La Tessa C.Larosa M.Lee K.Licoccia S.Maccarone R.Mancusi D.Marchetti M.Mazzenga G.Miller J.Morino V.Morselli A.Narici L.Negri B.Notaro G.Ottolenghi A.Paci M.Peachey N.S.Petrov V.P.Picozza P..
Popov A.Reali E.Ricci M. Rinaldi A.Romagnoli P.Russo M.Ruggieri D.Salnitski V.P.Sannita W.G.Sato T.Schardt D.Semones E.Shavers M.Shevchenko O.I.Shurshakov V.ASihver L.Sparvoli R.Spillantini P.Trukhanov K.A.Vacchi A.Vavilov N.Vazquez M.Vittori R.Zaconte V.Zampa N.Zapp N.
Dept. di Physics, Univ. of Rome "Tor Vergata" and INFN Sect. Roma2 , RomaDept of Physics, Univ. of Pavia, Pavia Dept of Physics, Univ. of Milan, MilanDISM-Univ. of Genoa, GenoaL.N.F. - INFN, Frascati (Rome)CERN - INFNDept. of Physics,Univ. e Sect. INFN of Trieste, Perugia, FirenzeDept. of Sc. and Chemical Tec., Univ. of Rome "Tor Vergata”Dept. of STB - Univ. of L’Aquila, L’AquilaGSI - Biophysik, Darmstadt, GermanyRoyal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, SwedenChalmers University of Technology, Sweden
Institute for BioMedical Problems, Moscow, Russia. Russian Space Corporation "Energia" by name Korolev, Korolev, Moscow region, RussiaMoscow State Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow, Russia
Johnson Space Center, NASA, Houston TX, USABrookhaven National Laboratory, NY, USALawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, CA, USACole Eye institute, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USAWyle Laboratories, TX, USAEril Research, CA, USA
+ others joining in
JAERI, Japan
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Thank you for your attention