Effect of Spaceflight Experience on Human Brain Structure, Microstructure, and Function: Systematic Review of Neuroimaging Studies

Overview

Journal Brain Imaging Behav

Publisher Springer

Specialties Neurology
Psychology
Radiology
Social Sciences

Date 2024 May 22

PMID 38777951

Authors

Sahar Rezaei

Homa Seyedmirzaei

Esmaeil Gharepapagh

Fateme Mohagheghfard

Zahra Hasankhani

Mahsa Karbasi

Sahar Delavari

Mohammad Hadi Aarabi

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Spaceflight-induced brain changes have been commonly reported in astronauts. The role of microgravity in the alteration of the brain structure, microstructure, and function can be tested with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of Spaceflight studies exploring the potential role of brain alterations identified by MRI in astronauts. We conducted a search on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to find neuroimaging correlates of spaceflight experience using MRI. A total of 20 studies (structural MRI n = 8, diffusion-based MRI n = 2, functional MRI n = 1, structural MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI n = 6, structural MRI and functional MRI n = 3) met our inclusion criteria. Overall, the studies showed that regardless of the MRI techniques, mission duration significantly impacts the human brain, prompting the inclusion of various brain regions as features in the analyses. After spaceflight, notable alterations were also observed in the superior occipital gyrus and the precentral gyrus which show alterations in connectivity and activation during spaceflight. The results provided highlight the alterations in brain structure after spaceflight, the unique patterns of brain remodeling, the challenges in drawing unified conclusions, and the impact of microgravity on intracranial cerebrospinal fluid volume.

Citing Articles

Structural and functional changes in the hippocampus induced by environmental exposures.

Albadawi E Neurosciences (Riyadh). 2025; 30(1):5-19.

PMID: 39800422 PMC: 11753596. DOI: 10.17712/nsj.2025.1.20240052.

References

Kramer L, Hasan K, Sargsyan A, Wolinsky J, Hamilton D, Riascos R . MR-derived cerebral spinal fluid hydrodynamics as a marker and a risk factor for intracranial hypertension in astronauts exposed to microgravity. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2015; 42(6):1560-71. DOI: 10.1002/jmri.24923. View

Yuh W, Zhu M, Taoka T, Quets J, Maley J, Muhonen M . MR imaging of pituitary morphology in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. J Magn Reson Imaging. 2000; 12(6):808-13. DOI: 10.1002/1522-2586(200012)12:6<808::aid-jmri3>3.0.co;2-n. View

Lee J, Koppelmans V, Riascos R, Hasan K, Pasternak O, Mulavara A . Spaceflight-Associated Brain White Matter Microstructural Changes and Intracranial Fluid Redistribution. JAMA Neurol. 2019; 76(4):412-419. PMC: 6459132. DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2018.4882. View

Ceran Serdar C, Cihan M, Yucel D, Serdar M . Sample size, power and effect size revisited: simplified and practical approaches in pre-clinical, clinical and laboratory studies. Biochem Med (Zagreb). 2020; 31(1):010502. PMC: 7745163. DOI: 10.11613/BM.2021.010502. View

McGregor H, Lee J, Mulder E, De Dios Y, Beltran N, Kofman I . Brain connectivity and behavioral changes in a spaceflight analog environment with elevated CO. Neuroimage. 2020; 225:117450. DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117450. View

Eide P, Rapoport B, Gormley W, Madsen J . A dynamic nonlinear relationship between the static and pulsatile components of intracranial pressure in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. J Neurosurg. 2009; 112(3):616-25. PMC: 4046835. DOI: 10.3171/2009.7.JNS081593. View

Svoboda K, Li N . Neural mechanisms of movement planning: motor cortex and beyond. Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2017; 49:33-41. DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2017.10.023. View

Liberati A, Altman D, Tetzlaff J, Mulrow C, Gotzsche P, Ioannidis J . The PRISMA statement for reporting systematic reviews and meta-analyses of studies that evaluate health care interventions: explanation and elaboration. J Clin Epidemiol. 2009; 62(10):e1-34. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.06.006. View

Hupfeld K, McGregor H, Reuter-Lorenz P, Seidler R . Microgravity effects on the human brain and behavior: Dysfunction and adaptive plasticity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2021; 122:176-189. PMC: 9650717. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.017. View

10.

Roy-OReilly M, Mulavara A, Williams T . A review of alterations to the brain during spaceflight and the potential relevance to crew in long-duration space exploration. NPJ Microgravity. 2021; 7(1):5. PMC: 7887220. DOI: 10.1038/s41526-021-00133-z. View

11.

Van Ombergen A, Jillings S, Jeurissen B, Tomilovskaya E, Ruhl R, Rumshiskaya A . Brain Tissue-Volume Changes in Cosmonauts. N Engl J Med. 2018; 379(17):1678-1680. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc1809011. View

12.

Yin Y, Liu J, Fan Q, Zhao S, Wu X, Wang J . Long-term spaceflight composite stress induces depression and cognitive impairment in astronauts-insights from neuroplasticity. Transl Psychiatry. 2023; 13(1):342. PMC: 10632511. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02638-5. View

13.

Clement G, Boyle R, George K, Nelson G, Reschke M, Williams T . Challenges to the central nervous system during human spaceflight missions to Mars. J Neurophysiol. 2020; 123(5):2037-2063. DOI: 10.1152/jn.00476.2019. View

14.

Lee A, Mader T, Gibson C, Brunstetter T, Tarver W . Space flight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). Eye (Lond). 2018; 32(7):1164-1167. PMC: 6043524. DOI: 10.1038/s41433-018-0070-y. View

15.

Hupfeld K, McGregor H, Koppelmans V, Beltran N, Kofman I, De Dios Y . Brain and Behavioral Evidence for Reweighting of Vestibular Inputs with Long-Duration Spaceflight. Cereb Cortex. 2021; 32(4):755-769. PMC: 8841601. DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab239. View

16.

Koppelmans V, Bloomberg J, Mulavara A, Seidler R . Brain structural plasticity with spaceflight. NPJ Microgravity. 2017; 2:2. PMC: 5460234. DOI: 10.1038/s41526-016-0001-9. View

17.

Van Ombergen A, Jillings S, Jeurissen B, Tomilovskaya E, Rumshiskaya A, Litvinova L . Brain ventricular volume changes induced by long-duration spaceflight. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2019; 116(21):10531-10536. PMC: 6535034. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1820354116. View

18.

Riascos R, Kamali A, Hakimelahi R, Mwangi B, Rabiei P, Seidler R . Longitudinal Analysis of Quantitative Brain MRI in Astronauts Following Microgravity Exposure. J Neuroimaging. 2019; 29(3):323-330. DOI: 10.1111/jon.12609. View

19.

Koppelmans V, Mulavara A, Seidler R, De Dios Y, Bloomberg J, Wood S . Cortical thickness of primary motor and vestibular brain regions predicts recovery from fall and balance directly after spaceflight. Brain Struct Funct. 2022; 227(6):2073-2086. DOI: 10.1007/s00429-022-02492-z. View

20.

Ziegelitz D, Arvidsson J, Hellstrom P, Tullberg M, Wikkelso C, Starck G . In Patients With Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus Postoperative Cerebral Perfusion Changes Measured by Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Correlate With Clinical Improvement. J Comput Assist Tomogr. 2015; 39(4):531-40. DOI: 10.1097/RCT.0000000000000254. View