Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 1, 2025
12:29
Coherence between Brain Cortical Function and Neurocognitive Performance during Changed Gravity Conditions
Published on: May 23, 2011
19.7K
Brain Connectometry Changes in Space Travelers After Long-Duration Spaceflight
Andrei Doroshin1, Steven Jillings2, Ben Jeurissen3
1Drexel University Neuroimaging Laboratory (DUN), Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
Frontiers in Neural Circuits
|March 7, 2022
Summary
Long spaceflight causes significant brain structural changes, particularly in white matter tracts. This research uses diffusion MRI to map these alterations, aiding future studies on astronaut health.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Space Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Astronauts experience profound physiological adaptations during spaceflight.
- Understanding brain changes in weightlessness is crucial for human space exploration.
- Previous research has not detailed specific white matter alterations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain structural changes in cosmonauts after long-duration spaceflight.
- To identify specific white matter tracts affected by microgravity using diffusion MRI.
- To provide a basis for future research on neuroplasticity in space.
Main Methods:
- Utilized diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data from twelve cosmonauts.
- Employed differential tractography to analyze microstructural changes in white matter.
- Collected MRI scans pre-flight, ten days post-flight, and seven months post-flight.
Main Results:
- Identified significant microstructural changes in major white matter tracts.
- Observed alterations in the corpus callosum, arcuate fasciculus, corticospinal, corticostriatal, and cerebellar tracts.
- This study is the first to use tractography to pinpoint affected pathways.
Conclusions:
- Long-duration spaceflight induces measurable structural changes in the human brain's white matter.
- Differential tractography is effective in identifying specific affected neural pathways.
- Findings may guide future research into the functional and behavioral consequences of spaceflight-induced brain changes.
