Radiation could harm astronauts' brains

Astronauts aboard the space shuttle and the International Space Station are largely protected from space radiation by the Earth's magnetic field. But the crew of a mission to Mars could spend three years outside this protective bubble.

So NASA recently awarded funding for 12 projects that will investigate how long-term radiation exposure in interplanetary space could potentially cause health problems in astronauts. One award will help continue studies of how radiation affects the behaviour and cognitive abilities of rats. It is led by Bernard Rabin of the University of Maryland in Baltimore, US. More

Unfortunately the tests are all about cognitive abilities of radiation affected brains - to help decide if the astronauts will have difficulty with their on-board duties.... whereas I'd prefer the focus to be on the damage to DNA and possible mutations...