Traveling in space can alter the brain, according to a study

Spending long periods in space can not only lead to muscle atrophy and reduced bone density, but also to lasting effects on the brain, warned the first long-term study of Russian cosmonauts. the brain reacts to exposure to microgravity, said a researcher from the Ludwig Maximilian University Munich (LMU) in Germany. It is still unclear whether and to what extent the neuroanatomical changes observed until now persist after the return to normal gravity, they said.

The study, which appears in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that differential changes in the three major brain tissue volumes remain detectable for at least six months after the end of their last mission. The study was conducted on ten cosmonauts, each of whom spent an average of 189 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The researchers used magnetic resonance tomography (MRT) to image the subjects' brains both before and shortly after the end of their long-term mission.

In addition, seven members of the cohort were re-examined seven months after their return. from the space. "It is actually the first study in which it has been possible to objectively quantify changes in brain structures following a space mission, including an extended follow-up period", said Peter zu Eulenburg, professor at LMU. MRT badyzes performed a few days after returning to Earth revealed that the gray matter volume (the part of the cerebral cortex made up mainly of neuronal cell bodies) was reduced compared to baseline measurement before launch. [19659002] In follow-up badyzes conducted 7 months later, this effect was partially reversed, but nonetheless detectable. In contrast, the volume of cerebrospinal fluid, which fills the internal and external cavities of the brain, increased in the cortex during prolonged exposure to microgravity.

Moreover, this process was also observable in the outer spaces that cover the brain after returning to Earth, while the spaces of cerebrospinal fluid inside have returned to an almost normal size. The volume of the white matter tissues (the parts of the brain mainly made of nerve fibers) seemed to have remained unchanged during investigations immediately after the landing. However, the subsequent review six months later showed a generalized reduction in volume compared with 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.

When returning to Earth, this process is then gradually reversed. which then leads to a relative reduction in the volume of white matter. "Taken together, our findings suggest prolonged changes in the configuration of the cerebrospinal fluid circulation at least seven months after return to Earth," said Zu Eulenburg.

"However, the significant changes presented in Gray matter and white matter that lead to changes in cognition are still unclear," he said. According to the researchers, in order to minimize the risks badociated with long-term missions and to characterize any clinical significance of their structural outcomes, new studies using a greater number of diagnostic methods are considered essential.