A team of researchers from the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering - Politecnico di Milano, coordinated by Prof. Enrico Caiani, is taking part in the Science for Bed-Rest research program, promoted by the Italian Space Agency, with the BEAT-REST experiment.
The initiative aims to gain a deeper understanding of the effects of simulated microgravity on the human body and to develop preventive strategies and countermeasures in preparation for future long-duration space missions. At the same time, the research holds significant relevance on Earth, offering new perspectives for addressing the effects of physical inactivity and prolonged immobility, conditions that commonly affect older adults and bedridden patients.
The Science for Bed-Rest program involves 21 adult volunteers, both men and women, who will spend 21 days in a tilted bed-rest position. This experimental model is widely recognized by the scientific community as an effective way to reproduce the fluid shifts and muscle inactivity typical of the space environment.
Throughout the study period, participants will undergo daily monitoring of their psychophysical responses to bed rest, including measurements, biological sample collection, and muscle biopsies, conducted before, during, and after the experimental phase.
Within this framework, the BEAT-REST experiment aims to analyse the effects of inactivity on cardiac electromechanical function through the use of wearable sensors, and to identify reliable biomarkers for monitoring and potentially preventing undesirable physiological changes.
Special attention will be given to the study of individual and gender-related differences in physiological, behavioural, and neurocognitive responses to prolonged inactivity. In doing so, the experiment will make an original and valuable scientific contribution to a field that remains underexplored at the international level—that of gender differences in biomedical research.