Here’s how space travel affects the human brain

ORLANDO , Fla. — Space travel might be affecting astronauts’ brains.

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A study suggests that frequent space flyers should wait three years after long missions to allow the physiological changes in their brains to reset.

Researchers studied brain scans of 30 astronauts, comparing them before and after space travel.

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According to the report, the brain’s ventricles expand in those who had missions of at least six months, meaning that less than three years will not be enough time for the ventricles to recover.

Ventricles are cavities in the brain filled with cerebrospinal fluid, which protects and nourishes the brain.

On Earth, the human body effectively distributes fluids, but in the absence of gravity, the fluid shifts upward, causing the ventricles to expand.

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Rachel Seidler is a professor of applied physiology and kinesiology at the University of Florida and an author of the study.

She is also a member of the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health and said that based on studies so far, ventricular expansion is the most enduring change seen in the brain resulting from spaceflight.

“Many astronauts travel to space more than one time,” she said. “Our study shows it takes about three years between flights for the ventricles to fully recover.”

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Sedler also said they don’t know the long-term consequences of space travelers on their health and behavioral health.

Of the 30 astronauts studied, eight traveled on two-week missions, 18 were on six-month missions, and four were in space for approximately one year.

The ventricular enlargement decreased after six months, the study’s authors said.

“The biggest jump comes when you go from two weeks to six months in space,” Seidler said. “There is no measurable change in the ventricles’ volume after only two weeks.”

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Seidler said the good news is that shorter space travel appears to cause minor physiological changes to the brain.

Researchers cannot study astronauts in space for longer than a year.

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But, Sedler said it is good news that the brain’s ventricles expansion remains consistent after six months.

“We were happy to see that the changes don’t increase exponentially, considering we will eventually have people in space for longer periods,” she said.

NASA funded the study, and Sedler said it could impact future mission planning and crew travel decisions.

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