N° 14-2005: WISE study starts in Toulouse: 60 days of bed-rest for terrestrial female astronauts
21 March 2005
Since last Saturday, 19 March, the study entitled Women International Space Simulation for Exploration (WISE) has been fully under way. All participants in the first of two campaigns have been lying in bed, tilted head down at an angle of 6º below horizontal, so that their heads are slightly lower than their feet. This position results in physiological changes that also occur in astronauts during space flight. The study will assess the roles of nutrition and combined physical exercise in countering the adverse effects of prolonged gravitational unloading by bed-rest.
The first volunteers arrived at the MEDES Space Clinic in Toulouse on 22 February for the start of the collection of physiological data, which will serve as the baseline data throughout the whole study. This preliminary period lasted 20 days, after which the first two volunteers went to bed; the last two, who arrived on 27 February, did so on 19 March. More than 1600 women responded to the ESA call for candidates, which closed in January. As planned, twelve women were selected for this first campaign. They come from France, Great Britain, Germany, Finland, The Netherlands, Poland, and the Czech Republic, so that the WISE study also attracted great interest in the new member countries of the European Union. This study is a joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA), the French space agency (CNES), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It is being carried out by MEDES, the French Institute for Space Medicine and Physiology, in the clinical research facility at the Rangueil hospital in Toulouse, France. WISE needs 24 female volunteers altogether, who will remain in bed for a total duration of 60 days. The test subjects will be divided into three groups of eight. One will be the control group, receiving no extra stimulus over the course of the bed-rest period. The second group will undertake an exercise programme whilst in bed. The third will receive a nutritional supplement throughout the 60 days. For the 20 days prior to the bed rest period, the test subjects will take part in the collection of baseline data. During the 20 days following the bed-rest period they will undergo similar tests for comparison with the baseline data. The WISE study is being conducted in two campaigns, with 12 volunteers in each. The second campaign starts in September. Volunteers can still apply. The data collected by WISE will be used to draw conclusions about such aspects as muscle condition, blood parameters, cardiovascular condition, coordination of movements, changes in immune system, bone formation and psychological wellbeing. External experts reviewed all scientific protocols of the study prior to selection, and the responsible French ethical committee in Toulouse has approved the integrated study design of WISE. With the European Space Agency’s future plans for human space exploration, the results expected from WISE will prove valuable in planning long-duration human missions. This research will also have clinical significance on Earth, advancing knowledge and pointing to improved methods of assisting recovery by bedridden patients. Studying the early effects of reduced activity on a molecular level is expected to provide further evidence of the benefits of regular exercise in the prevention of conditions like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. ESA has created an information website on WISE at: http://spaceflight.esa.int/wise Details of the requirements to be met by candidates for the second campaign, which starts in September, the conditions of participation and the application form for the female bed-rest study can be obtained at: www.medes.fr/ltbrw. Information can also be obtained by phone: +33 825 82 54 84 for international calls (€0.20/min) and 0 825 82 54 84 for calls from inside France (€0.15/min). For further media information please contact: Franco Bonacina ESA Media Relations Division Paris (France) Tel: +33 1 5369 7155 Fax: +33 1 5369 7690 Dieter Isakeit Erasmus User Centre and Communication Office Directorate of Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration Programmes Noordwijk (The Netherlands) Tel: +31 71 565 5451 Fax: +31 71 565 8008 e-mail: dieter.isakeit@esa.int
Volunteers began a 60 day bed-rest marathon on March 19 to study simulated weightlessness effects on women astronauts. The study,  Women International Space Simulation for Exploration(WISE), is conducted at the  MEDES Space Clinic in Toulouse, France.

The 12 women, selected from 1600 applicants hailing from France,Great Britain, Germany, Finland, The Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic began the study after a 20 day screening for baseline comparison data as the study progressed.

The women will conduct all activities from eating, bathing, and reading while lying in hospital beds tilted headfirst at a six degree angle.  This particular position, called head-down tilt bed rest was determined from previous studies to remove the vertical load of gravity on the body, inducing changes similar to what astronauts in a genuine weightless environment experience .

Long term exposure to weightlessness creates  a number of physiological and psychological problems in astronauts such as:
*Reduced capacity for physical exertion
*Muscle atrophy
*Affects of confinement and isolation
*Impaired circulatory function

A total of 24 women will participate in the study. A second group of 12 will join in September.

Three groups of eight women each will be studied over the course of the two campaigns of bed rest. One group will serve as a control, receiving no specific treatments, the second will exercise, while the third will receive nutritional supplements.

The study is designed to fill in gaps of knowledge on the differences between men and women during extended weightlessness. It also aims to develop countermeasures for reducing the debilitating effects of long spaceflights.

Participating agencies in the study include the European Space Agency, NASA, the French Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.