Our brain’s structure and function may alter and adapt throughout our lifetimes. Understanding the consequences of spaceflight on brain structures is critical as human space exploration expands to new heights. Previous studies have revealed that space exploration has the ability to change the form and functions of a mature brain. The brains of astronauts were altered for months after they came back to Earth after spending almost six months in space, according to a research published in the journal Frontiers in Neural Circuits.
Researchers used a brain imaging technique termed fiber tractography to complete diffusion MRI scans of 12 cosmonauts from the European Space Agency as well as Russia’s Roscosmos, who spent roughly 172 days in orbit, before they left, directly after they came back, and, for just some participants, a very last scan seven months after they were brought back to Earth.
As a consequence of spaceflight, the corpus callosum, a part of the brain that links the structure’s two hemispheres and functions as a network system, fills with fluid and expands, although the researchers say this is merely a real structural modification. Other aspects of spaceflight’s impact on humans have been thoroughly investigated.
NASA’s Human Research Program identified five major risks that astronauts might face if they spend a significant amount of time in space:
Solitude and isolation can affect their psyche and potentially cause sleep problems and stress, as well as nutrient deficiencies due to the absence of fresh meals; distance from Earth, which then would necessitate astronauts to handle any medical emergencies on their own; changes in gravitational forces, which can impact the heart, bones, and muscles; and indeed the potentially fatal environment.
Muscular dystrophy is also a serious problem: Astronauts who stay five to eleven days in orbit drop 20% of their muscle mass, according to NASA.
