A new study published in Limits in neural circuits He was the first to analyze The structural connectivity that occurs in the brain changes after a long space flight. The results show significant changes in the microstructure in many white matter channels such as sensory channels. This study could form the basis for future research into various changes in the brain during human space exploration.
Our brains can change and adapt in structure and function throughout our lives. With human space exploration reaching new heights, understanding the effects of spaceflight on the human brain is critical. Previous research has shown that spaceflight has the potential to change the appearance and function of the adult brain.
Through a collaborative project between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Roscosmos, an international research team led by Dr. Floris Wittes of the University of Antwerp has studied the brains of humans traveling in space.
Wuyts and colleagues, for the first time, investigated structural changes in the brain after spaceflight at the level of white matter channels deep in the brain.
White matter refers to the part of the brain that is responsible for communication between gray matter and the body and between different regions of gray matter. In short, white matter is the brain’s communication channel and gray matter is where information is processed.
educated brain
To study the structure and function of the brain after spaceflight, the researchers used a brain-imaging technology called fiber optics.
Imaging of the ducts with fiber provides a kind of wiring diagram of the brain. Our study is the first to use this particular method to detect changes in brain structure after space flight, explains Yates.
Wuyts and his team obtained propagation magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) scans of 12 male astronauts before and after their spaceflight. They also collected eight follow-up scans, seven months after the spaceflight. All astronauts participated in long-range missions with an average of 172 days.
Researchers have found evidence for the “learned brain” concept. In other words, the degree of neuroplasticity must adapt to space flight. “We found changes in the neural connections between several motor areas in the brain,” said first author Andrei Doroshin of Drexel University. “The motor area is the center of the brain where movement commands are initiated. In the weightless state, the astronaut will need to radically adjust his movement strategy, compared to Earth. Our study shows that their brains are wired, so to speak.”
Follow-up examination revealed that seven months after returning to Earth, these changes were still visible.
“From previous studies, we know that this motor region shows signs of adaptation after spaceflight. Now, we have the first indications that it is also reflected in the level of connection between the regions,” Wuyts continued.
The authors also found an explanation for the shifts in brain anatomy observed after spaceflight.
“We initially thought we had detected a change in the Corpus callosumwhich is the central highway that connects the two halves of the brain, ”explained Wyatt Corpus callosum They are adjacent to the ventricles of the brain, a connected network of fluid-filled spaces, which expand due to space travel.
“The structural changes we initially found in Corpus callosum It’s actually caused by the dilation of the ventricles causing an anatomical shift of the neighboring neural network,” Wuyts said. “Where it was originally thought there were real structural changes in the brain, we only saw changes in shape. This puts the results in a different perspective. “
The future of space flight research
This study demonstrates the need to understand how spaceflight affects our bodies, particularly through long-term research into its effects on the human brain. Current countermeasures for muscle and bone loss exist, such as exercising at least two hours a day. Future research may provide evidence that precautions are necessary for the brain.
“This result gives us another piece of the whole puzzle. Because the research is so groundbreaking, we don’t yet know what the whole puzzle looks like. These results contribute to our overall understanding of what happens in the human brain. space explorers It’s important to preserve the pathways. This research, looks for brain changes caused by spaceflight from different perspectives and using different techniques.
Reference: “Brain connectivity changes in space travelers after long space flight” by Andrei Doroshin, Stephen Gillings, Ben Goresin, Elena Tomilovskaya, Ekaterina Pechenkova, Inna Nosikova, Alina Rumchiskaya, Lyudmila Litvinova, Ilya Rukavishnikov, Chloe Kathuen, and Jan Siberis , Viktor Petrovichev, Angelique van Ombergen, Jitka Anen, Stefan Sonnaert, Paul M. Parzel, Valentin Sinitsyn, Peter zu Jullenberg, Karol Osipovich and Floris L. Yates, 18 February 2022, Limits in neural circuits.
DOI: 10.3389 / fncir.2022.815838
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