Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) have found changes in the brain, including a decrease in gray matter. Elena Tomilovskaya, the head of the department of sensorimotor physiology and prevention, a leading researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Problems (IBMP) of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the head of the experiment from the Russian side, Elena Tomilovskaya, told TASS about this.
Scientists noted that the astronaut's brain changes in order to adapt a person to life in space.
“According to the data obtained by scientists after a full program of examination of 11 Russian cosmonauts, in humans during space flight, the volume of gray matter decreases and the volume of white matter of the brain and cerebrospinal fluid increases,” the scientist said.
All cosmonauts had MRI scans two and also one month before the flight. After the flight, they also had an MRI scan on the ninth day and six months later. White matter in areas of the brain that are associated with movement control, balance and perception of body position has increased. This is how the brain adapted to new conditions.
Scientists also found a decrease in gray matter in some areas of the brain. “Here we can talk, most likely, about the compaction of gray matter due to the fact that the volumes of cerebrospinal fluid increase and the cerebral ventricles expand,” Tomilovskaya explained and added that the detected changes are included in the list of risks of space flights.
According to scientists, changes in the brain do not affect the health and performance of astronauts. It is also noted that after returning to Earth within six months, all changes in the brain return to normal.
