Published 08:55 IST, April 19th 2020
Space travel expands brain's volume; makes it bigger: Scientists' startling discovery
To conduct the examination, scientists used MRI brain scans on at least 11 astronauts before they left Intercontinental Area Station, and later, upon return.
In a first, researchers revealed in a study published in the scientific journal of the Radiological Society of North America that humans who travelled to space and lived there expanded their brain volumes, as it apparently got bigger in size. To conduct the examination, scientists used MRI brain scans on at least 11 astronauts before they left the Intercontinental Area Station, and later, upon return, it was found that the images that illustrated the before-and-after status of the human brain differed exceedingly.
The findings were key in answering some important questions about how well-suited humans were for space travel, and the long-term effects it can have on the human brain.
The lead author of the study, Larry A. Kramer, MD, from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, said, “When you’re in microgravity, fluid such as your venous blood no longer pools toward your lower extremities but redistributes headward, that movement of fluid toward your head may be one of the mechanisms causing changes we are observing in the eye and intracranial compartment.” Approximately 60% of the crew members of the International Space Station have reported altered visual acuity after long-duration exposure to microgravity, as per the study.
NASA involved in further research
According to the study, as the researchers investigated further, they found that the influence lasted for about a complete year after the astronauts returned to Earth. Modifications to the flow of cerebrospinal fluid were also pointed out, even though the astronauts did not report signs and symptoms of any change in the activity, and would look to be healthier. It was, however unclear, what impact the alteration in the size of the brain was felt by the astronauts and potential space vacationers after they had returned to the earth.
Furthermore, NASA and other space agencies have been conducting research on ways to mitigate the physical consequences of spaceflights on the astronauts, according to the study. “If we can better understand the mechanisms that cause ventricles to enlarge in astronauts, then research could benefit patients with brain-related conditions,” Kramer said.
Updated 08:55 IST, April 19th 2020