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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 27, 2026

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions

Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions

Published on: May 23, 2011

Brain structural plasticity with spaceflight.

Vincent Koppelmans¹, Jacob J Bloomberg², Ajitkumar P Mulavara³

¹School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 401 Washtenaw Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2214 USA.

NPJ Microgravity

|June 27, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Spaceflight causes significant brain structure changes, including gray matter decreases and increases in sensorimotor areas. These adaptations in astronauts may impact balance and sensorimotor function.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Space Medicine
Human Physiology

Background:

Astronauts experience sensorimotor adaptation in space due to altered sensory inputs and unloading.
Previous research noted optic nerve changes potentially linked to intracranial pressure in microgravity.
No studies had previously investigated spaceflight's effects on human brain structure.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the structural changes in the human brain following spaceflight.
To determine if pre- to postflight brain alterations correlate with changes in balance.
This study represents the first report on human brain structural changes associated with spaceflight.

Main Methods:

Retrospective analysis of T2-weighted MRI scans and balance data from 27 astronauts (shuttle and ISS crews).
Data sourced from NASA Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health.
Volumetric gray matter changes analyzed using non-parametric permutation testing after MRI scan normalization.

Main Results:

Extensive volumetric gray matter decreases observed in areas including the temporal and frontal poles and around the orbits.
Gray matter decreases were more pronounced in International Space Station crew members compared to shuttle crew members in certain regions.
Bilateral focal gray matter increases were noted in the medial primary somatosensory and motor cortex, specifically in lower limb representation areas.

Conclusions:

Spaceflight induces significant structural changes in the human brain, characterized by gray matter volume decreases and increases in specific sensorimotor regions.
The observed brain alterations may be linked to the duration of spaceflight, with longer missions showing more pronounced effects.
Further prospective research is needed to elucidate the mechanisms and behavioral consequences of these spaceflight-induced neuroplastic changes.