The effect of prolonged spaceflight on cerebrospinal fluid and perivascular spaces of astronauts and cosmonauts

brain; microgravity; perivascular space; spaceflight; spaceflight-associated neuroocular syndrome; Article; basal ganglion; brain lateral ventricle; cerebrospinal fluid analysis; controlled study; cosmonaut; diffusivity; exercise; human; International Space Station; moon; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; space flight; subarachnoid space; Valsalva maneuver; visual acuity; white matter; diagnostic imaging; visual disorder; Astronauts; Brain; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Space Flight; Vision Disorders; White Matter

Abstract :

[en] Long-duration spaceflight induces changes to the brain and cerebrospinal fluid compartments and visual acuity problems known as spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). The clinical relevance of these changes and whether they equally affect crews of different space agencies remain unknown. We used MRI to analyze the alterations occurring in the perivascular spaces (PVS) in NASA and European Space Agency astronauts and Roscosmos cosmonauts after a 6-mo spaceflight on the International Space Station (ISS). We found increased volume of basal ganglia PVS and white matter PVS (WM-PVS) after spaceflight, which was more prominent in the NASA crew than the Roscosmos crew. Moreover, both crews demonstrated a similar degree of lateral ventricle enlargement and decreased subarachnoid space at the vertex, which was correlated with WM-PVS enlargement. As all crews experienced the same environment aboard the ISS, the differences in WM-PVS enlargement may have been due to, among other factors, differences in the use of countermeasures and high-resistive exercise regimes, which can influence brain fluid redistribution. Moreover, NASA astronauts who developed SANS had greater pre- and postflight WM-PVS volumes than those unaffected. These results provide evidence for a potential link between WM-PVS fluid and SANS. Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 (CC BY).

Research center :

CHU de Liège-Centre du Cerveau² - ULiège

Disciplines :

Neurology

Author, co-author :

Barisano, G.; Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States

Sepehrband, F.; Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, United States

Collins, H.R.; Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States

Jillings, S.; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2610, Belgium

Jeurissen, B.; Imec-Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2610, Belgium

Taylor, J.A.; Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, United States

Schoenmaekers, C.; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2610, Belgium

De Laet, C.; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, B-2610, Belgium

Rukavishnikov, I.; Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123007, Russian Federation

Nosikova, I.; Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, 123007, Russian Federation

More authors (17 more)

Language :

English

Title :

The effect of prolonged spaceflight on cerebrospinal fluid and perivascular spaces of astronauts and cosmonauts

Publication date :

2022

Journal title :

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

ISSN :

0027-8424

eISSN :

1091-6490

Publisher :

National Academy of Sciences

Volume :

119

Issue :

Peer reviewed :

Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi

Funding text :

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS. We thank Wafa Taiym and Sara Mason (Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health Program, NASA Johnson Space Center) for providing imaging and clinical data and Lucia Ichino for her critical evaluation of the manuscript. This study was funded by Russian Academy of Sciences Grant 63.1 (to E.T., I.R., and I.N.), NASA Grant 20-EPSCoR2020-0069 (to D.R.R.), ESA Grant ISLRA-2009-1062 (to F.L.W.), the Belgian Science Policy Prodex (to F.L.W., S.J., and C.D.L.), FWO Flanders (to C.S.), and the National Institute of Mental Health of the NIH Grant RF1MH123223 (to F.S.).

Available on ORBi :

since 08 November 2022

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