NOTE: End date changed to 9/30/2021 per D. Risin/HRP and NSSC information (Ed., 8/27/20)

NOTE: Changed end date to 9/30/2020 per NSSC information (Ed., 10/9/19)

NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ10ZSA003N requested proposals to assess changes in elemental neurocognitive functions such as perception, motor control, memory, attention, language, executive function, and emotional processing following long duration spaceflight using both behavioral assessments and monitoring technologies such as fMRI. In response to this call, we propose to perform structural and functional MR brain imaging to identify the relationship between changes in crewmember neurocognitive function and neural structural alterations following a six month International Space Station mission. Our central hypothesis is that measures of brain structure, function, and network integrity will change from pre to post flight in crewmembers (Aim 1). Moreover, we predict that these changes will correlate with indices of cognitive, sensory, and motor function in a neuroanatomically selective fashion (Aim 2). Our interdisciplinary approach utilizes cutting edge neuroimaging techniques and a broad ranging battery of sensory, motor, and cognitive assessments that will be conducted pre flight, during flight, and post flight to investigate neuroplastic and maladaptive brain changes in crewmembers following long duration spaceflight. Success in this endeavor would 1) result in identification of the underlying neural mechanisms and operational risks of spaceflight-induced changes in behavior, and 2) identify whether a return to normative behavioral function following re-adaptation to Earth’s gravitational environment is associated with a restitution of brain structure and function or instead is supported by substitution with compensatory brain processes.

Over the past year, we have continued to make progress with our data analyses and dissemination of results. For example, we published our findings showing that mobility and balance decline from pre to postflight, suggesting possible disruption and/or down-weighting of vestibular inputs; these behaviors recovered to baseline levels within 30 days postflight. We also identified bimanual coordination declines pre to postflight; recovery to baseline levels was also evident within 30 days postflight. There were no performance changes in dual task cost during or following long duration spaceflight, although it may be that our secondary task was not sufficiently difficult to elicit effects. This work has been recently published (Tays et al. 2021, Frontiers in Neural Circuits). [Ed. Note: See Cumulative Bibliography.]

We also published a case study describing brain changes in a Crewmember who experienced an Aborted Launch ("CAL"). CAL's launch and landing experience was dissociated from prolonged microgravity exposure. Using MRI, we found that hypergravity exposure during the aborted launch did not induce lasting ventricular enlargement or intracranial fluid shifts resembling those previously reported with spaceflight. This case study therefore rules out hypergravity during launch and landing as a contributing factor to previously reported long-lasting intracranial fluid changes following spaceflight. This work was published in McGregor et al. 2021, Frontiers in Neurology.

We also reported our findings illustrating brain and behavioral evidence for sensory reweighting from pre to postflight. We used functional MRI to measure brain activity in response to vestibular stimulation pre and post-spaceflight. We also measured vestibularly-mediated behaviors, including balance, mobility, and rod-and-frame test performance. As expected, vestibular stimulation at the preflight sessions elicited activation of the parietal opercular area ("vestibular cortex") and deactivation of somatosensory and visual cortices. Pre to postflight, we found widespread reductions in this somatosensory and visual cortical deactivation, supporting sensory compensation and reweighting with spaceflight. These pre to postflight changes in brain activity correlated with changes in eyes closed standing balance, and greater pre to postflight reductions in deactivation of the visual cortices associated with less postflight balance decline. The observed brain changes recovered to baseline values by three months postflight. Together, these findings provide evidence for sensory reweighting and adaptive cortical neuroplasticity with spaceflight. These results have implications for better understanding compensation and adaptation to vestibular functional disruption. These findings were published in Hupfeld et al. 2022, Cerebral Cortex.

NOTE: End date changed to 9/30/2021 per D. Risin/HRP and NSSC information (Ed., 8/27/20)

NOTE: Changed end date to 9/30/2020 per NSSC information (Ed., 10/9/19)

NASA Research Announcement (NRA) NNJ10ZSA003N requested proposals to assess changes in elemental neurocognitive functions such as perception, motor control, memory, attention, language, executive function, and emotional processing following long duration spaceflight using both behavioral assessments and monitoring technologies such as fMRI. In response to this call, we propose to perform structural and functional MR brain imaging to identify the relationship between changes in crewmember neurocognitive function and neural structural alterations following a six month International Space Station mission. Our central hypothesis is that measures of brain structure, function, and network integrity will change from pre to post flight in crewmembers (Aim 1). Moreover, we predict that these changes will correlate with indices of cognitive, sensory, and motor function in a neuroanatomically selective fashion (Aim 2). Our interdisciplinary approach utilizes cutting edge neuroimaging techniques and a broad ranging battery of sensory, motor, and cognitive assessments that will be conducted pre flight, during flight, and post flight to investigate neuroplastic and maladaptive brain changes in crewmembers following long duration spaceflight. Success in this endeavor would 1) result in identification of the underlying neural mechanisms and operational risks of spaceflight-induced changes in behavior, and 2) identify whether a return to normative behavioral function following re-adaptation to Earth’s gravitational environment is associated with a restitution of brain structure and function or instead is supported by substitution with compensatory brain processes.

We completed our data collection for this project in 2020 and have data analyses ongoing. We have published a few preliminary papers, including one showing that spaceflight is associated with an upward shift of the brain within the skull, and another focusing on fluid shifts in the brain with spaceflight. In a recent study, we showed that one year in space resulted in more brain changes than six months.

NOTE: Changed end date to 9/30/2020 per NSSC information (Ed., 10/9/19)

NASA Research Announcement NNJ10ZSA003N requested proposals to assess changes in elemental neurocognitive functions such as perception, motor control, memory, attention, language, executive function, and emotional processing following long duration spaceflight using both behavioral assessments and monitoring technologies such as fMRI. In response to this call, we propose to perform structural and functional MR brain imaging to identify the relationship between changes in crewmember neurocognitive function and neural structural alterations following a six month International Space Station mission. Our central hypothesis is that measures of brain structure, function, and network integrity will change from pre to post flight in crewmembers (Aim 1). Moreover, we predict that these changes will correlate with indices of cognitive, sensory, and motor function in a neuroanatomically selective fashion (Aim 2). Our interdisciplinary approach utilizes cutting edge neuroimaging techniques and a broad ranging battery of sensory, motor, and cognitive assessments that will be conducted pre flight, during flight, and post flight to investigate neuroplastic and maladaptive brain changes in crewmembers following long duration spaceflight. Success in this endeavor would 1) result in identification of the underlying neural mechanisms and operational risks of spaceflight-induced changes in behavior, and 2) identify whether a return to normative behavioral function following re-adaptation to Earth’s gravitational environment is associated with a restitution of brain structure and function or instead is supported by substitution with compensatory brain processes.

We have just completed data collection for this project in May 2020, including collection of multiple types of structural and functional brain MRIs. We have also collected performance on a battery of neuropsychological tests of working memory, processing speed, and motor function, as well as assessments of balance and mobility. Data analyses and manuscript preparation are underway.

NASA Research Announcement NNJ10ZSA003N requested proposals to assess changes in elemental neurocognitive functions such as perception, motor control, memory, attention, language, executive function, and emotional processing following long duration spaceflight using both behavioral assessments and monitoring technologies such as fMRI. In response to this call, we propose to perform structural and functional MR brain imaging to identify the relationship between changes in crewmember neurocognitive function and neural structural alterations following a six month International Space Station mission. Our central hypothesis is that measures of brain structure, function, and network integrity will change from pre to post flight in crewmembers (Aim 1). Moreover, we predict that these changes will correlate with indices of cognitive, sensory, and motor function in a neuroanatomically selective fashion (Aim 2). Our interdisciplinary approach utilizes cutting edge neuroimaging techniques and a broad ranging battery of sensory, motor, and cognitive assessments that will be conducted pre flight, during flight, and post flight to investigate neuroplastic and maladaptive brain changes in crewmembers following long duration spaceflight. Success in this endeavor would 1) result in identification of the underlying neural mechanisms and operational risks of spaceflight-induced changes in behavior, and 2) identify whether a return to normative behavioral function following re-adaptation to Earth’s gravitational environment is associated with a restitution of brain structure and function or instead is supported by substitution with compensatory brain processes.

Preliminary analyses of our ongoing data further reveal that crewmembers are slower post flight on tests of bimanual coordination and mental rotation. These are not generalized slowing effects, as other measures showed no changes in speed. Moreover, accuracy was unchanged despite these slowing effects, supporting that the changes were not simply reflecting strategic speed-accuracy trade off effects.

NRA NNJ10ZSA003N requested proposals to assess changes in elemental neurocognitive functions such as perception, motor control, memory, attention, language, executive function, and emotional processing following long duration spaceflight using both behavioral assessments and monitoring technologies such as fMRI. In response to this call, we propose to perform structural and functional MR brain imaging to identify the relationship between changes in crewmember neurocognitive function and neural structural alterations following a six month International Space Station mission. Our central hypothesis is that measures of brain structure, function, and network integrity will change from pre to post flight in crewmembers (Aim 1). Moreover, we predict that these changes will correlate with indices of cognitive, sensory, and motor function in a neuroanatomically selective fashion (Aim 2). Our interdisciplinary approach utilizes cutting edge neuroimaging techniques and a broad ranging battery of sensory, motor, and cognitive assessments that will be conducted pre flight, during flight, and post flight to investigate neuroplastic and maladaptive brain changes in crewmembers following long duration spaceflight. Success in this endeavor would 1) result in identification of the underlying neural mechanisms and operational risks of spaceflight-induced changes in behavior, and 2) identify whether a return to normative behavioral function following re-adaptation to Earth’s gravitational environment is associated with a restitution of brain structure and function or instead is supported by substitution with compensatory brain processes.

NRA NNJ10ZSA003N requested proposals to assess changes in elemental neurocognitive functions such as perception, motor control, memory, attention, language, executive function, and emotional processing following long duration spaceflight using both behavioral assessments and monitoring technologies such as fMRI. In response to this call, we propose to perform structural and functional MR brain imaging to identify the relationship between changes in crewmember neurocognitive function and neural structural alterations following a six month International Space Station mission. Our central hypothesis is that measures of brain structure, function, and network integrity will change from pre to post flight in crewmembers (Aim 1). Moreover, we predict that these changes will correlate with indices of cognitive, sensory, and motor function in a neuroanatomically selective fashion (Aim 2). Our interdisciplinary approach utilizes cutting edge neuroimaging techniques and a broad ranging battery of sensory, motor, and cognitive assessments that will be conducted pre flight, during flight, and post flight to investigate neuroplastic and maladaptive brain changes in crewmembers following long duration spaceflight. Success in this endeavor would 1) result in identification of the underlying neural mechanisms and operational risks of spaceflight-induced changes in behavior, and 2) identify whether a return to normative behavioral function following re-adaptation to Earth’s gravitational environment is associated with a restitution of brain structure and function or instead is supported by substitution with compensatory brain processes.

NOTE: Continuation of "Spaceflight Effects on Neurocognitive Performance: Extent, Longevity, and Neural Bases," grant NNX11AR02G, due to Principal Investigator Seidler's move to University of Florida from University of Michigan.