Here's How Space Travel Changes the Brain

By Rachael Rettner, Senior Writer | November 1, 2017 05:00pm ET

Spending prolonged time in space can lead to striking changes in an astronaut's brain structure, a new study finds. These changes may help explain some of the unusual symptoms that astronauts can experience when returning to Earth.

In the study, researchers scanned the brains of 34 astronauts before and after they spent time in space. Eighteen of the astronauts participated in long-duration missions (close to six months, on average) aboard the International Space Station, and 16 astronauts participated in short-duration missions (about two weeks, on average) in space shuttle flights.

The brain scans revealed that most astronauts who participated in long-duration missions had several key changes to their brain's structure after returning from space: Their brains shifted upward in their skulls, and there was a narrowing of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces at the top of the brain. (CSF is a clear liquid that flows between the brain and its outer covering, and between the spinal cord and its outer covering.) However, none of the astronauts on short-duration missions exhibited these brain changes.

In addition, the scans showed that 94 percent of the astronauts on long-duration missions had a narrowing of their brain's central sulcus, a groove near the top of the brain that separates the frontal and parietal lobes (two of the four major lobes of the brain). Only 19 percent of astronauts who participated in short-duration flights showed a narrowing of their central sulcus. [7 Everyday Things That Happen Strangely in Space]

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