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Comparing the results, the team discovered what they described as “significant microstructural changes” in the white matter, the part of the brain that controls communication between the brain and the rest of the body and within the brain itself. Another scan of brain activity took place seven months later, with some changes reportedly still visible.
Specifically, the team found changes in nerve fibers related to sensory and motor functions. According to scientists, this could be related to the adaptation of astronauts to life in microgravity. It informs about it Science Alert.
Changes in the ventricles
“In the extreme cosmic environment, different physical and kinesthetic laws apply, which can have a significant effect on brain activity and body control. We therefore consider that the recorded changes in the nerve tracts reflect this altered sensorimotor function, which manifests itself in space travelers, “said the team.
According to scientists, the technique called fiber tractography was used in connection with the study of the effects of space flight for the first time. This technique creates a 3D image of the neural tracts, revealing a diagram of how the brain has become involved. Unlike previous observations of changes in the brains of astronauts, fiber tractography allows you to track the true connections between neurons and their shifts.
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According to their study, the researchers initially thought they had noticed changes in the calpus callosum, a cluster of nerve fibers connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, a kind of central cerebral highway. However, on closer analysis, they found that they observed an expansion of the fluid-filled ventricular communication network located next to the corpus callosum.
“The structural changes we originally found in the corpus callosum were actually caused by dilatation of the ventricles, causing anatomical shifts in the adjacent nervous tissue. Instead of the originally assumed real structural changes in the brain, we only observe shape changes. This puts our findings in a different perspective, ”says florist Floris Wuyts of the University of Antwerp in Belgium.
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Of course, changes in brain involvement are not uncommon – this plasticity of brain activity allows people to learn new skills, create new memories and many other things. What consequences can it have when brain involvement is “reinstalled” in connection with space? This is not yet entirely clear.
It is certain that the human body tries to adapt to this harsh environment when it is in a harsh cosmic environment. Previous studies have shown, among other things, that time spent in space affects men and women a little differently, and that being in space increases the risk of disease and can potentially damage the brain in various ways.
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According to Wuyts, the new research contributes to the puzzle of overall knowledge with other pieces, although its result is still unknown. However, the results contribute to an overall understanding of what is going on in the brains of space travelers.
“It is essential to maintain this line of research, to look at the changes in the brain caused by spaceflight from different perspectives and using different techniques,” concludes Floris Wuyts.
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