This study investigated the effects of prolonged microgravity on human brain connectivity using resting-state fMRI data from cosmonauts before, shortly after, and eight months after spaceflight. Results showed persistent connectivity decreases in the posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus, and increases in the right angular gyrus. Connectivity in the bilateral insular cortex decreased after spaceflight but reversed at follow-up. These findings suggest that altered gravitational environments influence functional connectivity, reflecting adaptations to microgravity.
Publisher
Communications Biology
Published On
Jan 13, 2023
Authors
Steven Jillings, Ekaterina Pechenkova, Elena Tomilovskaya, Ilya Rukavishnikov, Ben Jeurissen, Angelique Van Ombergen, Inna Nosikova, Alena Rumshiskaya, Liudmila Litvinova, Jitka Annen, Chloë De Laet, Catho Schoenmaekers, Jan Sijbers, Victor Petrovichev, Stefan Sunaert, Paul M. Parizel, Valentin Sinitsyn, Peter zu Eulenburg, Steven Laureys, Athena Demertzi, Floris L. Wuyts
Tags
microgravity
brain connectivity
functional connectivity
fMRI
cosmonauts
spaceflight
neuroscience
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