Space travel puts a lot of stress on the mind and body. Looking to implications for future space travel, a new study from Belgium examines how flights involving exposure to large changes in g-forces affect pilots’ brain function. is the first study.
Although the human brain can change its structure and function in response to changing environmental conditions thanks to neuroplasticity, it is recognized that locomotion in weightless environments is detrimental to health. In particular, long-range space missions have been shown to cause cognitive problems.
Given humanity’s continued fascination with space travel, it is important for scientists to understand the effects of changing gravitational conditions on the brain’s adaptive capacity. But why study pilots instead of astronauts? Astronauts are rare and hard to come by, so researchers turned to the next best thing: jet fighter pilots. Ultimately, both must be able to withstand changing gravitational levels (g-levels) and quickly process often-conflicting sensory information.
“Fighter pilots have some interesting similarities to astronauts, including their exposure to altered g-levels and their need to interpret information from visual information and head movement and acceleration.” , says Professor Floris Weitz of the University of Antwerp.
This study examined the brains of F16 fighter pilots and compared differences between male pilots with an average of 1,025 hours of F16 flight experience and a non-pilot control group. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the participants were taken to observe changes in functional brain connectivity—how different areas of the brain interacted with each other.
In addition to studying differences in brain function between pilots and non-pilots, researchers examined whether the amount of flight time gained by pilots affects functional brain connectivity and neuroplasticity. rice field.
Comparing pilots and non-pilots, the data show that in pilots there is a greater association between the areas of the brain that process visual information and information about changes in head position, orientation, and movement (vestibular information). showed.
Long-flight pilots showed greater brain changes than inexperienced pilots, suggesting that neuroplasticity increased in proportion to flight experience. showed improved connectivity in brain regions that process the complex information required for
It is hoped that the data collected in the first study of its kind can be used in future studies designed to better understand the effects of space travel on brain function.
“By demonstrating that vestibular and visual information are processed differently than non-pilots, pilots will gain more insight into their brain’s adaptations to unusual gravitational environments, such as during space flight. “We can recommend this research group as a good fit for the study,” said Dr. Wilhelmina Radstake, lead author of the study.
A new study was published in the journal the forefront of physiology.
Source: Frontiers by Simex
