Moon walk prep: scientists study how unloading rewires the brain
NCT ID NCT07607340
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looks at how 14 days of simulated microgravity (using a leg suspension model) changes the brain's movement programs and muscle control. Twenty-four healthy adults will have one leg unloaded while using crutches, then walk on a treadmill in lunar gravity during a parabolic flight. The goal is to understand how the brain and muscles adapt to disuse and reactivate under partial gravity, which could help astronauts and people recovering from limb immobilization.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could improve astronaut training and rehabilitation for people with limb immobilization.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 24 healthy participants, so results may not apply to broader populations or real spaceflight conditions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 24 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Mar 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 60 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: \- 18-60 years of age, willing to participate Exclusion Criteria: * high activity level according to the GLTEQ * contraindications to exercise * pregnancy * contraindications to MRI * active cardiovascular disease * cerebrovascular disease including previous stroke * aneurysm (large vessels or intracranial) * pulmonary disease including pulmonary hypertension or COPD * metabolic diseases (including: hyper/hypoparathyroidism, hyper/hypothyroidism, Cushing's disease, type 1 or type 2 diabetes) * active inflammatory bowel disease * kidney disease * malignancy * recent steroid treatment (within the past 6 months), or hormone replacement therapy * coagulation disorders * musculoskeletal or neurological diseases * diseases requiring long-term medication, including statin therapy * smoking
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Karolinska Institutet
RECRUITINGHuddinge, Stockholm County, 14152, Sweden