Scientists document how space travel messes with the human brain
The Hindu
Researchers found who travelled on the ISS or NASA space shuttles on missions lasting at least six months experienced significant expansion of the cerebral ventricles
Space can be an unfriendly place for the human body, with microgravity conditions and other factors tampering with our physiology, from head to toe - head, of course, being a primary concern.
A new NASA-funded study provides a deeper understanding of the issue. Researchers said on Thursday that astronauts who traveled on the International Space Station (ISS) or NASA space shuttles on missions lasting at least six months experienced significant expansion of the cerebral ventricles - spaces in the middle of the brain containing cerebrospinal fluid.
This colorless and watery fluid flows in and around the brain and spinal cord. It cushions the brain to help protect against sudden impact and removes waste products.
Based on brain scans of 30 astronauts, the researchers found that it took three years for the ventricles to fully recover after such journeys, suggesting that an interval of at least that duration would be advisable between longer space missions.
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"If the ventricles don't have sufficient time to recover between back-to-back missions, this may impact the brain's ability to cope with fluid shifts in microgravity. For example, if the ventricles are already enlarged from a previous mission, they may be less compliant and/or have less space to expand and accommodate fluid shifts during the next mission," said University of Florida neuroscientist Heather McGregor, lead author of the study published in the journal Scientific Reports.
Age-related ventricular enlargement - caused not by microgravity but by brain atrophy - can be associated with cognitive decline.