February 24 2006 1 University of Genoa University of Rome Tor Vergata [email protected] Phosphenes in space and in controlled experiments in accelerator:

February 24 2006 1

University of GenoaUniversity of Rome

“Tor Vergata”

[email protected]

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

February 24 2006 2

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

February 24 2006 3

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

February 24 2006 4

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

February 24 2006 5

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

February 24 2006 6

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

February 24 2006 7

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

February 24 2006 8

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)

February 24 2006 9

ALTEA HIT 1

The Heavy Ion Therapy in GSI (Darmstadt, Germany)

Thanks to Dieter Schardt

February 24 2006 10

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

February 24 2006 11

ALTEA HIT 3

February 24 2006 12

ALTEA HIT 4

February 24 2006 13

ALTEA: Men and Mice

February 24 2006 14

ALTEA biophys: rhodopsin activation

A model to generate phopsphenes in the retina

February 24 2006 15

ALTEA ground: MICE 2

Only light

Light + particles

.. independent path to cortex?No changes in the retinal potentials

Visual Evoked Potential (cortex)

February 24 2006 16

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

February 24 2006 17

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

February 24 2006 18

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

February 24 2006 19

Thank you for your attention