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Warthen KG, Sater SH, Kramer LA, Hasan KM, Williams MA, Young M, Macias BR, Laurie SS, Martin BA. Brain and cerebrospinal fluid 3D center of mass shift after spaceflight. NPJ Microgravity 2025; 11:14. [PMID: 40335486 PMCID: PMC12058997 DOI: 10.1038/s41526-025-00468-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2025] [Indexed: 05/09/2025] Open
Abstract
A subset of long-duration spaceflight astronauts at the International Space Station has been documented to develop spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). Researchers have sought to understand SANS by quantification of ocular and brain structural changes thought to be associated with weightlessness induced headward fluid shift. Brain tissue shift and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) redistribution has been observed as measured by MRI on return to Earth, and not fully quantified. To improve the understanding of this phenomenon, we developed and applied automated methods to quantify 3D center of mass shift within the skull of the extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid (eaCSF) and brain after long-duration spaceflight in astronauts (N = 13) and controls not exposed to microgravity (N = 10). 3D center of mass shift of brain tissue and CSF was computed based on registration of an individual skull segmentation at a baseline timepoint versus follow-up. 3D center of mass shift was quantified in the Gx, Gy, and Gz axis defined as -posterior/+anterior, -left/+right, -inferior/+superior, respectively. For astronauts, average MRI follow-up time pre- to post-flight was 697 ± 137 days (average flight duration = 179 ± 59 days with post-flight MRIs collected an average of 2.23 ± 1.64 days after return to Earth). For controls, average MRI follow-up time was 307 ± 19 days. For astronauts, a superior Gz shift in whole brain was present (+ 0.74 ± 0.28 mm, p < 0.0001) with a concomitant inferior Gz shift in eaCSF (-2.45 ± 0.99 mm, p < 0.0001). In the control cohort, brain tissue Gz shift (-0.082 ± 0.048 mm) and eaCSF Gz shift (0.096 ± 0.26 mm) were not statistically significant. Gy shift lacked significance in both controls and astronauts. These findings support that sustained exposure to weightlessness impacts the overall position of fluids and tissues within the skull.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Larry A Kramer
- McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Khader M Hasan
- McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Bryn A Martin
- Alcyone Therapeutics Inc, Lowell, MA, USA.
- Dept. of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA.
- Flux Neuroscience, LLC, Troy, ID, USA.
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Rezaei S, Seyedmirzaei H, Gharepapagh E, Mohagheghfard F, Hasankhani Z, Karbasi M, Delavari S, Aarabi MH. Effect of spaceflight experience on human brain structure, microstructure, and function: systematic review of neuroimaging studies. Brain Imaging Behav 2024; 18:1256-1279. [PMID: 38777951 PMCID: PMC11582179 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00894-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Spaceflight-induced brain changes have been commonly reported in astronauts. The role of microgravity in the alteration of the brain structure, microstructure, and function can be tested with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Here, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview of Spaceflight studies exploring the potential role of brain alterations identified by MRI in astronauts. We conducted a search on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus to find neuroimaging correlates of spaceflight experience using MRI. A total of 20 studies (structural MRI n = 8, diffusion-based MRI n = 2, functional MRI n = 1, structural MRI and diffusion-weighted MRI n = 6, structural MRI and functional MRI n = 3) met our inclusion criteria. Overall, the studies showed that regardless of the MRI techniques, mission duration significantly impacts the human brain, prompting the inclusion of various brain regions as features in the analyses. After spaceflight, notable alterations were also observed in the superior occipital gyrus and the precentral gyrus which show alterations in connectivity and activation during spaceflight. The results provided highlight the alterations in brain structure after spaceflight, the unique patterns of brain remodeling, the challenges in drawing unified conclusions, and the impact of microgravity on intracranial cerebrospinal fluid volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahar Rezaei
- Clinical Research Development Unit of Tabriz Valiasr Hospital, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Homa Seyedmirzaei
- Sports Medicine Research Center, Neuroscience Institute, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Gharepapagh
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Fateme Mohagheghfard
- Department of para Medicine, Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Zahra Hasankhani
- Department of para Medicine, Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Mahsa Karbasi
- Department of radiology, Medical School, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Sahar Delavari
- Institute for the Developing Mind, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mohammad Hadi Aarabi
- Padova Neuroscience Center (PNC), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
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Saveko A, Bekreneva M, Ponomarev I, Zelenskaya I, Riabova A, Shigueva T, Kitov V, Abu Sheli N, Nosikova I, Rukavishnikov I, Sayenko D, Tomilovskaya E. Impact of different ground-based microgravity models on human sensorimotor system. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1085545. [PMID: 36875039 PMCID: PMC9974674 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1085545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
This review includes current and updated information about various ground-based microgravity models and their impact on the human sensorimotor system. All known models of microgravity are imperfect in a simulation of the physiological effects of microgravity but have their advantages and disadvantages. This review points out that understanding the role of gravity in motion control requires consideration of data from different environments and in various contexts. The compiled information can be helpful to researchers to effectively plan experiments using ground-based models of the effects of space flight, depending on the problem posed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Saveko
- Russian Federation State Scientific Center—Institute of Biomedical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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Monitoring the Impact of Spaceflight on the Human Brain. LIFE (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 12:life12071060. [PMID: 35888147 PMCID: PMC9323314 DOI: 10.3390/life12071060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Extended exposure to radiation, microgravity, and isolation during space exploration has significant physiological, structural, and psychosocial effects on astronauts, and particularly their central nervous system. To date, the use of brain monitoring techniques adopted on Earth in pre/post-spaceflight experimental protocols has proven to be valuable for investigating the effects of space travel on the brain. However, future (longer) deep space travel would require some brain function monitoring equipment to be also available for evaluating and monitoring brain health during spaceflight. Here, we describe the impact of spaceflight on the brain, the basic principles behind six brain function analysis technologies, their current use associated with spaceflight, and their potential for utilization during deep space exploration. We suggest that, while the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and computerized tomography (CT) is limited to analog and pre/post-spaceflight studies on Earth, electroencephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and ultrasound are good candidates to be adapted for utilization in the context of deep space exploration.
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Novello L, Henriques RN, Ianuş A, Feiweier T, Shemesh N, Jovicich J. In vivo Correlation Tensor MRI reveals microscopic kurtosis in the human brain on a clinical 3T scanner. Neuroimage 2022; 254:119137. [PMID: 35339682 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion MRI (dMRI) has become one of the most important imaging modalities for noninvasively probing tissue microstructure. Diffusional Kurtosis MRI (DKI) quantifies the degree of non-gaussian diffusion, which in turn has been shown to increase sensitivity towards, e.g., disease and orientation mapping in neural tissue. However, the specificity of DKI is limited as different sources can contribute to the total intravoxel diffusional kurtosis, including: variance in diffusion tensor magnitudes (Kiso), variance due to diffusion anisotropy (Kaniso), and microscopic kurtosis (μK) related to restricted diffusion, microstructural disorder, and/or exchange. Interestingly, μK is typically ignored in diffusion MRI signal modeling as it is assumed to be negligible in neural tissues. However, recently, Correlation Tensor MRI (CTI) based on Double-Diffusion-Encoding (DDE) was introduced for kurtosis source separation, revealing non negligible μK in preclinical imaging. Here, we implemented CTI for the first time on a clinical 3T scanner and investigated the sources of total kurtosis in healthy subjects. A robust framework for kurtosis source separation in humans is introduced, followed by estimation of μK (and the other kurtosis sources) in the healthy brain. Using this clinical CTI approach, we find that μK significantly contributes to total diffusional kurtosis both in gray and white matter tissue but, as expected, not in the ventricles. The first μK maps of the human brain are presented, revealing that the spatial distribution of μK provides a unique source of contrast, appearing different from isotropic and anisotropic kurtosis counterparts. Moreover, group average templates of these kurtosis sources have been generated for the first time, which corroborated our findings at the underlying individual-level maps. We further show that the common practice of ignoring μK and assuming the multiple gaussian component approximation for kurtosis source estimation introduces significant bias in the estimation of other kurtosis sources and, perhaps even worse, compromises their interpretation. Finally, a twofold acceleration of CTI is discussed in the context of potential future clinical applications. We conclude that CTI has much potential for future in vivo microstructural characterizations in healthy and pathological tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Novello
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy.
| | | | - Andrada Ianuş
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | | | - Noam Shemesh
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jorge Jovicich
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences - CIMeC, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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Brain Physiological Response and Adaptation During Spaceflight. Neurosurgery 2019; 85:E815-E821. [DOI: 10.1093/neuros/nyz203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
More than half of astronauts returning from long-duration missions on the International Space Station present with neuro-ocular structural and/or functional changes, including optic disc edema, optic nerve sheath distension, globe flattening, choroidal folds, or hyperopic shifts. This spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) represents a major risk to future exploration class human spaceflight missions, including Mars missions. Although the exact pathophysiology of SANS is unknown, evidence thus far suggests that an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) relative to the upright position on Earth, which is due to the loss of hydrostatic pressure gradients in space, may play a leading role. This review focuses on brain physiology in the spaceflight environment, specifically on how spaceflight may affect ICP and related indicators of cranial compliance, potential factors related to the development of SANS, and findings from spaceflight as well as ground-based spaceflight analog research studies.
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Riascos RF, Kamali A, Hakimelahi R, Mwangi B, Rabiei P, Seidler RD, Behzad BB, Keser Z, Kramer LA, Hasan KM. Longitudinal Analysis of Quantitative Brain MRI in Astronauts Following Microgravity Exposure. J Neuroimaging 2019; 29:323-330. [DOI: 10.1111/jon.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 02/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Roy F. Riascos
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention ImagingUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
| | - Arash Kamali
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention ImagingUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
| | | | - Benson Mwangi
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
| | - Pejman Rabiei
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention ImagingUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
| | - Rachael D. Seidler
- Department of Applied Physiology & KinesiologyUniversity of Florida Gainesville FL
| | - Barzin B. Behzad
- Department of RadiologyTexas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso TX
| | - Zafer Keser
- Department of NeurologyUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
| | - Larry A. Kramer
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention ImagingUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
| | - Khader M. Hasan
- Department of Diagnostic and Intervention ImagingUniversity of Texas Health Science Center Houston TX
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