Astronauts; Brain/diagnostic imaging/pathology; Humans; Space Flight; Weightlessness; White Matter/diagnostic imaging/pathology; International Space Station (ISS); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); microgravity; neuroplasticity; neuroscience; spaceflight; tractography
Abstract :
[en] Humans undergo extreme physiological changes when subjected to long periods of weightlessness, and as we continue to become a space-faring species, it is imperative that we fully understand the physiological changes that occur in the human body, including the brain. In this study, we present findings of brain structural changes associated with long-duration spaceflight based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data. Twelve cosmonauts who spent an average of six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were scanned in an MRI scanner pre-flight, ten days after flight, and at a follow-up time point seven months after flight. We performed differential tractography, a technique that confines white matter fiber tracking to voxels showing microstructural changes. We found significant microstructural changes in several large white matter tracts, such as the corpus callosum, arcuate fasciculus, corticospinal, corticostriatal, and cerebellar tracts. This is the first paper to use fiber tractography to investigate which specific tracts exhibit structural changes after long-duration spaceflight and may direct future research to investigate brain functional and behavioral changes associated with these white matter pathways.
Research Center/Unit :
CHU de Liège-Centre du Cerveau² - ULiège
Disciplines :
Neurology
Author, co-author :
Doroshin, Andrei; Drexel University Neuroimaging Laboratory (DUN), Drexel University, Philadelphia,
Jillings, Steven ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA ; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp,
Jeurissen, Ben; Imec-Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Tomilovskaya, Elena; State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - Institute for Biomedical
Pechenkova, Ekaterina; Laboratory for Cognitive Research, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.
Nosikova, Inna; State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - Institute for Biomedical
Rumshiskaya, Alena; Radiology Department, National Medical Research Treatment and Rehabilitation
Litvinova, Liudmila; Radiology Department, National Medical Research Treatment and Rehabilitation
Rukavishnikov, Ilya; State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation - Institute for Biomedical
De Laet, Chloë; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp,
Schoenmaekers, Catho; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp,
Sijbers, Jan; Imec-Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium.
Laureys, Steven ; Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Liège - CHU > > Centre du Cerveau²
Petrovichev, Victor; Radiology Department, National Medical Research Treatment and Rehabilitation
Van Ombergen, Angelique; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, ; Department of Translational Neurosciences-ENT, University of Antwerp, Antwerp,
Annen, Jitka ; Université de Liège - ULiège > GIGA > GIGA Consciousness - Coma Science Group
Sunaert, Stefan; Department of Imaging & Pathology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven - University of
Parizel, Paul M; Department of Radiology, Royal Perth Hospital, University of Western Australia
Sinitsyn, Valentin; Faculty of Fundamental Medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow,
Zu Eulenburg, Peter; Institute for Neuroradiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich,
Osipowicz, Karol; Drexel University Neuroimaging Laboratory (DUN), Drexel University, Philadelphia,
Wuyts, Floris L; Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp,
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