Astronauts’ brains change shape during spaceflight
Blue shows areas of gray matter volume decrease, likely reflecting shifting of cerebrospinal fluid. Orange shows regions of gray matter volume increase, in the regions that control movement of the legs. This likely reflects brain plasticity associated with “learning how to move in microgravity”. This is the first image of how spaceflight changes brain structure in humans!ANN ARBOR—MRIs before and after space missions reveal that astronauts' brains compress and expand during spaceflight, according to a University of Michigan study.
