Bed Rest Project 115-119 Days

In order to study a person as if they were in space without gravity, NASA scientists use head down tilt bed rest. The 115-119 day study will follow the Bed Rest Project standard model and be conducted at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas. Participants will live in a special research unit for the entire study and be fed a carefully controlled diet.

During the first 11-15 days of the study participants will be free to move around inside the bed rest facility and do normal things. They will also take part in a number of tests to find out the normal state of their bone, muscle, heart and circulatory system, brain and nervous system, and vestibular (inner ear balance) system as well as their nutritional condition and their ability to fight off infections.

After the first 11-15-day period, participants will spend 90 days lying in bed, (except for limited times for specific tests) with their body slightly tilted downward (head down, feet up). Every day, they will be awake for 16 hours and lights out (asleep) for 8 hours. During the bed rest time they will also take part in a number of tests to find out changes in the state of their bone, muscle, heart and circulatory system, and nervous system, as well as their nutritional condition and their ability to fight off infections.

During the final 14 days of the study (called the recovery period), participants will again be free to move about within the facility. Because of deconditioning that takes place during bed rest, they will slowly begin normal everyday activity. During the recovery period, they will again take part in tests of their bone, muscle, heart and circulatory systems, and nervous systems, as well as their nutritional condition and their ability to fight off infections.

Participants must be nonsmokers between the ages of 25-55 years old, who are in good health with no history of cardiovascular, neurological, gastrointestinal, or musculoskeletal problems. Female participants cannot be using hormone contraceptives or be menopausal.

Individuals selected for screening will receive a physical examination at no cost. Once medically qualified, subjects will be compensated for their time spent for the required psychological assessment and any additional screening.

Application Form

Sounds like my kind of study.

As long as I can bring a laptop and have hi-speed wireless net...

Otherwise everyone's going to wonder where I disappeared for 4 months.

This would actually be a good study for someone recovering from some type of surgery or accident. If you have to rest up, may as well get paid for it.

...their body slightly tilted downward (head down, feet up)...
I don't think so.

They pay well for these types of studies because they are more difficult to endure than you might think. Now if they threw in free beer, I'm sure the young male quote would be filled in a heartbeat

well, i don't mind being tilted downward, personally....I actually find it easier to breathe that way. Plus, increased blood flow to the brain might make me smarter.

http://bedreststudy.com/bedrest.aspx

looks comfortable enough to me.

Besides, it's probably as close as I'll ever get to fulfilling my childhood astronaut fantasies. nice thing to put on the resume....spent 4 months lying in bed for NASA.

It is NOT a comfortable position at all. I was like that for approximately 48 hours while in premature labor with my first dd. She was only 26 weeks gestation and my doctors were trying everything possible to keep her inside. My face swelled about 3 times it's size from lying with my head down. Even though it was a relatively short amount of time it felt like an eternity and I couldn't be paid enough to lay like that again!!!