Study Med Uni Graz

Space research: test subjects lay in bed for 90 days

A particularly high-resolution CT machine helped to examine the test subjects' bones.

(Bild: Med Uni Graz)

For a "bed rest study", participants had to lie flat in bed for three months to simulate space conditions. During this time, a team from the Medical University of Graz examined the condition of their bones. At least they were compensated accordingly: the young test subjects received around 10,000 euros.

An unusual study was recently carried out in Planica, Slovenia, with the participation of Med Uni Graz: The participants (exclusively young, healthy men) had to spend 90 days in flat bed rest - they were only allowed to lean on their forearms for 30 minutes a day. However, some of the test subjects performed various exercises lying down to counteract physical degradation. The European Space Agency wanted to simulate the conditions of a long-term space flight.

"High-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography can provide a unique insight into the bone structure of the study participants."

Ines Fößl

Med Uni Graz

Bild: Med Uni Graz

Ines Fößl from Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch's research team (Medical University of Graz) worked with Charité Berlin and the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg to examine the bones of 24 test subjects. Specifically, the focus was on whether and how they change internally as a result of lying down. "The bone structure naturally plays an important role in physical function. The bones not only have to be able to bear the weight of the body, their interior also serves to form blood, i.e. to produce blood cells," explains Fößl.

There was at least some compensation for taking part in the three-month study of a somewhat different kind: the test subjects received around 10,000 euros for the "bone job".