MRIs before and after a space mission reveal expansions and compressions of astronauts’ brain during spaceflights. This is according to a novel study done by a team of researchers from University of Michigan.
The study, which is the first to examine brain structural shifts were conducted on 13 astronauts who were shuttle crew members and 14 astronauts who spent six months at space stations.[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ]
The brains of all 27 astronauts showed increases and decreases of gray matter volume in different parts of the brain as a result of their time in space.
The longer astronauts were in space, the more prounced the changes.
“We found large regions of gray matter volume decreases, which could be related to redistribution of cerebrospinal fluid in space,” lead researcher Rachael Seidler, a professor of kinesiology and psychology at Michigan University, said in a news release.
According to her, gravity is not available to pull fluids down in the body, resulting in so-called puffy face in space. This may result in a shift of brain position or compression, she added.
Seidler and her colleagues detailed their findings in the journal Microgravity.
Scientists are keen to explore the neural changes further, as they are yet to characterise all of the changes.
Seidler is specifically interested to find out how long the neural changes last once astronauts are back on Earth.
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