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By: PTI | Berlin |
Published: October 29, 2018 at 17 h 42 min 28 s
Researchers used magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) to obtain an image of subjects' brains before and shortly after the end of their missions. long term. (File)
Spending long periods in space can not only lead to muscle atrophy and reduced bone density, but also lasting effects on the brain, warned the first long-term study on Russian cosmonauts.
According to a researcher at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) in Germany, it is unclear whether and to what extent the observed neuroanatomical changes persist after returning to normal gravity.
The study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the differential changes in the three main brain tissue volumes remain detectable for at least six months after the end of their last mission.
The study was conducted on ten cosmonauts who spent an average of 189 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
Researchers used magnetic resonance tomography (MRT). image the brains of subjects both before and shortly after the end of their long-term missions.
In addition, seven members of the cohort were re-examined seven months after their return from space.
the first study in which it was possible to objectively quantify changes in brain structures after a space mission, including a prolonged follow-up period, "said Peter zu Eulenburg, professor at the LMU.
after return to Earth revealed that gray matter volume (the portion of the cerebral cortex consisting primarily of neuronal cell bodies) was reduced relative to baseline measurement before launch.
In follow-up scans carried out 7 months later, this effect was partly reversed, but still detectable
In contrast, the volume of cerebrospinal fluid, which fills the internal and external cavities of the brain, increased in the cortex prolonged exposure to microgravity.
Moreover, this process was also observable in the external spaces covering the brain after return to Earth, while the spaces of cerebrospinal fluid inside had returned to an almost normal size.
White matter tissue volume (parts of the brain composed mainly of nerve fibers) seemed to remain unchanged during the investigation immediately after landing.
However, the subsequent review conducted six months later showed a generalized reduction in volume compared to the previous two measurements.
In this case, the researchers postulate that during a long pbadage in space, the volume of the white substance can be slowly replaced by an influx of cerebrospinal fluid.
On his return to Earth, this process is gradually reversed, which then leads to a relative reduction in the volume of white matter.
"Together, our results indicate prolonged changes in the pattern of cerebrospinal fluid circulation. over a period of at least seven months after return to Earth, "said zu Eulenburg.
" However, do major changes to the gray matter and white matter cause changes in cognition ? According to the researchers, in order to minimize the risks badociated with long-term missions and to characterize any clinical significance of their structural findings, new studies using a greater number of diagnostic methods are considered essential.
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