Open Access

Communications Biology, volume 6, issue 1, publication number 46

Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity

Jillings Steven ¹

Pechenkova Ekaterina ²

Tomilovskaya Elena S. ³

Rukavishnikov Ilya ³

Jeurissen Ben ^{1, 4}

Van Ombergen Angelique ^{1, 5}

Nosikova Inna ³

Rumshiskaya Alena ⁶

Litvinova Liudmila ⁶

Annen Jitka ⁷

De Laet Chloë ¹

Schoenmaekers Catho ¹

Sijbers Jan ⁴

Petrovichev Victor ⁶

Sunaert Stefan ⁸

Parizel Paul M. ⁹

Sinitsyn Valentin ¹⁰

Eulenburg Peter zu ¹¹

Laureys Steven ^{7, 12, 13}

Demertzi Athena ^{14, 15}

Wuyts Floris L. ¹

Hide authors affiliations Show authors affiliations: 15 affiliations

Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium |

Laboratory for Cognitive Research, HSE University, Moscow, Russia |

SSC RF—Institute for Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia |

⁴

imec-Vision Lab, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium

University of Antwerp

Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre

⁵

Department of Translational Neuroscience—ENT, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium |

⁶

Radiology Department, National Medical Research Treatment and Rehabilitation Center of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russia |

⁷

Coma Science Group, GIGA Consciousness, GIGA Institute, University and University Hospital of Liège, Liège, Belgium |

⁸

Department of Imaging & Pathology, Translational MRI, KU Leuven—University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium |

⁹

Department of Radiology, Royal Perth Hospital and University of Western Australia Medical School, Perth, Australia

University of Western Australia

Royal Perth Hospital

¹⁰

Faculty of fundamental medicine, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia |

¹¹

Institute for Neuroradiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Munich, Germany |

¹²

International Consciousness Science Institute, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China |

¹³

Joint International Research Unit on Consciousness, CERVO Brain Research Centre, Laval University, Quebec, Canada |

¹⁴

Physiology of Cognition, GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium |

¹⁵

Department of Psychology, Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium |

Publication type: Journal Article

Publication date: 2023-01-13

Springer Nature

Journal: Communications Biology

Quartile SCImago

Quartile WOS

Impact factor: 5.9

ISSN: 23993642

DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-04382-w

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General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology

Medicine (miscellaneous)

General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Abstract

The prospect of continued manned space missions warrants an in-depth understanding of how prolonged microgravity affects the human brain. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) can pinpoint changes reflecting adaptive neuroplasticity across time. We acquired resting-state fMRI data of cosmonauts before, shortly after, and eight months after spaceflight as a follow-up to assess global connectivity changes over time. Our results show persisting connectivity decreases in posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus and persisting increases in the right angular gyrus. Connectivity in the bilateral insular cortex decreased after spaceflight, which reversed at follow-up. No significant connectivity changes across eight months were found in a matched control group. Overall, we show that altered gravitational environments influence functional connectivity longitudinally in multimodal brain hubs, reflecting adaptations to unfamiliar and conflicting sensory input in microgravity. These results provide insights into brain functional modifications occurring during spaceflight, and their further development when back on Earth.

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Citations by journals

	1
Journal of Parkinson's Disease	Journal of Parkinson's Disease, 1, 33.33% Journal of Parkinson's Disease 1 publication, 33.33%
npj Microgravity	npj Microgravity, 1, 33.33% npj Microgravity 1 publication, 33.33%
	1

Citations by publishers

	1
IOS Press	IOS Press, 1, 33.33% IOS Press 1 publication, 33.33%
Springer Nature	Springer Nature, 1, 33.33% Springer Nature 1 publication, 33.33%
	1

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Jillings S. et al. Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity // Communications Biology. 2023. Vol. 6. No. 1. 46

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Jillings S., Pechenkova E., Tomilovskaya E. S., Rukavishnikov I., Jeurissen B., Van Ombergen A., Nosikova I., Rumshiskaya A., Litvinova L., Annen J., De Laet C., Schoenmaekers C., Sijbers J., Petrovichev V., Sunaert S., Parizel P. M., Sinitsyn V., Eulenburg P. Z., Laureys S., Demertzi A., Wuyts F. L. Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity // Communications Biology. 2023. Vol. 6. No. 1. 46

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TY - JOUR

DO - 10.1038/s42003-022-04382-w

UR - https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs42003-022-04382-w

TI - Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity

T2 - Communications Biology

AU - Jillings, Steven

AU - Pechenkova, Ekaterina

AU - Tomilovskaya, Elena S.

AU - Rukavishnikov, Ilya

AU - Jeurissen, Ben

AU - Van Ombergen, Angelique

AU - Nosikova, Inna

AU - Rumshiskaya, Alena

AU - Litvinova, Liudmila

AU - Annen, Jitka

AU - De Laet, Chloë

AU - Schoenmaekers, Catho

AU - Sijbers, Jan

AU - Petrovichev, Victor

AU - Sunaert, Stefan

AU - Parizel, Paul M.

AU - Sinitsyn, Valentin

AU - Eulenburg, Peter zu

AU - Laureys, Steven

AU - Demertzi, Athena

AU - Wuyts, Floris L.

PY - 2023

DA - 2023/01/13 00:00:00

PB - Springer Nature

IS - 1

VL - 6

SN - 2399-3642

ER -

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@article{2023_Jillings,

author = {Steven Jillings and Ekaterina Pechenkova and Elena S. Tomilovskaya and Ilya Rukavishnikov and Ben Jeurissen and Angelique Van Ombergen and Inna Nosikova and Alena Rumshiskaya and Liudmila Litvinova and Jitka Annen and Chloë De Laet and Catho Schoenmaekers and Jan Sijbers and Victor Petrovichev and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M. Parizel and Valentin Sinitsyn and Peter zu Eulenburg and Steven Laureys and Athena Demertzi and Floris L. Wuyts},

title = {Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity},

journal = {Communications Biology},

year = {2023},

volume = {6},

publisher = {Springer Nature},

month = {jan},

url = {https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs42003-022-04382-w},

number = {1},

doi = {10.1038/s42003-022-04382-w}

}

Found error?

Publisher

Springer Nature

Journal

Communications Biology

Quartile SCImago

Quartile WOS

Impact factor

5.9

ISSN

23993642 (Electronic)

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Laboratory of Gravitational Physiology of the Sensorimotor System

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