The Effects of Spaceflight on Astronaut Brain Health as Indicated on MRI with Translation to Terrestrial Clinical Populations

Objectives:

1. Describe the effect of spaceflight on human brain structure as determined by MRI.
2. Describe the relationship between structural brain changes and changes in cognitive and motor performance in astronauts during long-duration spaceflight.
3. Describe how studying the adaptation of the brain to spaceflight and hydrocephalus associated with long-term spaceflight (HALS) may contribute to the understanding of disorders of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) homeostasis on Earth.

CSF homeostasis is complex and incompletely understood.  My group and others, have documented changes in brain structure in astronauts following spaceflight including upward shift of the brain, ventricular enlargement, and enlargement of the perivascular spaces.  These structural changes are greater than would be expected for normal aging and occur in astronauts following long-term missions (>3 months) on the International Space Station, but not in astronauts who flew short-duration missions (1-2 weeks) on the Space Shuttle. Remodeling of cerebral structures in response to abolishment of the habitual gravitational stress of Earth implies a previously unrecognized gravitational dependency.  Further investigation of the impact of gravity on CSF dynamics may hold significance not only for astronauts but may also be applicable to understanding the underlying etiology of CSF disorders on Earth.

Cancelled