@article {2270, title = {Prolonged microgravity induces reversible and persistent changes on human cerebral connectivity}, journal = {Communications Biology}, volume = {6}, year = {2023}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-04382-w}, author = {Steven Jillings and Ekaterina V. Pechenkova and Elena Tomilovskaya and Ilya Rukavishnikov and Ben Jeurissen and Angelique Van Ombergen and Nosikova, Inna and Alena Rumshiskaya and Liudmila Litvinova and Annen, Jitka and Chloe De Laet and Catho Schoenmaekers and Jan Sijbers and Petrovichev, Victor and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M Parizel and Valentin Sinitsyn and zu Eulenburg, P and Steven S L Laureys and Athena Demertzi and Floris L Wuyts} } @article {2216, title = {Brain Connectometry Changes in Space Travelers After Long-Duration Spaceflight}, journal = {Front. Neural Circuits}, volume = {16}, year = {2022}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.3389/fncir.2022.815838}, author = {Andrei Doroshin and Steven Jillings and Ben Jeurissen and Elena Tomilovskaya and Ekaterina V. Pechenkova and Nosikova, Inna and Alena Rumshiskaya and Liudmila Litvinova and Ilya Rukavishnikov and Chloe De Laet and Catho Schoenmaekers and Jan Sijbers and Steven S L Laureys and Petrovichev, Victor and Angelique Van Ombergen and Jitka Annen and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M Parizel and Valentin Sinitsyn and zu Eulenburg, Peter and Karol Osipowicz and Floris L Wuyts} } @article {2215, title = {The effect of prolonged Spaceflight on Cerebrospinal Fluid and Perivascular Spaces of Astronauts and Cosmonauts}, journal = {PNAS}, volume = {119}, year = {2022}, chapter = {e2120439119}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2120439119}, author = {Giuseppe Barisano and Farshid Sepehrband and Heather R. Collins and Steven Jillings and Ben Jeurissen and Andrew J. Taylor and Catho Schoenmaekers and Chloe De Laet and Ilya Rukavishnikov and Inna Nosikova and Alena Rumshiskaya and Jitka Annen and Jan Sijbers and Steven S L Laureys and Angelique Van Ombergen and Petrovichev, Victor and Valentin Sinitsyn and Ekaterina V. Pechenkova and Alexey Grishin and Peter zu Eulenburg and Meng Law and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M. Parizel and Elena Tomilovskaya and Donna Roberts and Floris L Wuyts} } @article {1964, title = {Alterations of Functional Brain Connectivity After Long-Duration Spaceflight as Revealed by fMRI.}, journal = {Front Physiol}, volume = {10}, year = {2019}, pages = {1-23}, abstract = {

The present study reports alterations of task-based functional brain connectivity in a group of 11 cosmonauts after a long-duration spaceflight, compared to a healthy control group not involved in the space program. To elicit the postural and locomotor sensorimotor mechanisms that are usually most significantly impaired when space travelers return to Earth, a plantar stimulation paradigm was used in a block design fMRI study. The motor control system activated by the plantar stimulation involved the pre-central and post-central gyri, SMA, SII/operculum, and, to a lesser degree, the insular cortex and cerebellum. While no post-flight alterations were observed in terms of activation, the network-based statistics approach revealed task-specific functional connectivity modifications within a broader set of regions involving the activation sites along with other parts of the sensorimotor neural network and the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular systems. The most notable findings included a post-flight increase in the stimulation-specific connectivity of the right posterior supramarginal gyrus with the rest of the brain; a strengthening of connections between the left and right insulae; decreased connectivity of the vestibular nuclei, right inferior parietal cortex (BA40) and cerebellum with areas associated with motor, visual, vestibular, and proprioception functions; and decreased coupling of the cerebellum with the visual cortex and the right inferior parietal cortex. The severity of space motion sickness symptoms was found to correlate with a post- to pre-flight difference in connectivity between the right supramarginal gyrus and the left anterior insula. Due to the complex nature and rapid dynamics of adaptation to gravity alterations, the post-flight findings might be attributed to both the long-term microgravity exposure and to the readaptation to Earth{\textquoteright}s gravity that took place between the landing and post-flight MRI session. Nevertheless, the results have implications for the multisensory reweighting and gravitational motor system theories, generating hypotheses to be tested in future research.

}, issn = {1664-042X}, doi = {10.3389/fphys.2019.00761}, author = {Pechenkova, Ekaterina and Nosikova, Inna and Rumshiskaya, Alena and Litvinova, Liudmila and Rukavishnikov, Ilya and Mershina, Elena and Valentin Sinitsyn and Angelique Van Ombergen and Ben Jeurissen and Jillings, Steven and Laureys, Steven and Jan Sijbers and Grishin, Alexey and Chernikova, Ludmila and Naumov, Ivan and Kornilova, Ludmila and Floris L Wuyts and Tomilovskaya, Elena and Kozlovskaya, Inessa} } @article {1941, title = {Brain ventricular volume changes induced by long-duration spaceflight}, journal = {Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences}, volume = {116}, year = {2019}, pages = {10531-10536}, abstract = {Long-duration spaceflight induces detrimental changes in human physiology due to microgravity. One example is a cephalic fluid shift. Here, we prospectively investigated the quantitative changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume of the brain ventricular regions in space crew by means of a region of interest, observer-independent analysis on structural brain MRI scans. MRI scans were collected before the mission, shortly after and 7 mo after return to Earth. We found a significant increase in lateral and third ventricles at postflight and a trend to normalization at follow-up, but still significantly increased ventricular volumes. The observed spatiotemporal pattern of CSF compartment enlargement and recovery points to a reduced CSF resorption in microgravity as the underlying cause.Long-duration spaceflight induces detrimental changes in human physiology. Its residual effects and mechanisms remain unclear. We prospectively investigated the changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volume of the brain ventricular regions in space crew by means of a region of interest analysis on structural brain scans. Cosmonaut MRI data were investigated preflight (n = 11), postflight (n = 11), and at long-term follow-up 7 mo after landing (n = 7). Post hoc analyses revealed a significant difference between preflight and postflight values for all supratentorial ventricular structures, i.e., lateral ventricle (mean \% change {\textpm} SE = 13.3 {\textpm} 1.9), third ventricle (mean \% change {\textpm} SE = 10.4 {\textpm} 1.1), and the total ventricular volume (mean \% change {\textpm} SE = 11.6 {\textpm} 1.5) (all P \< 0.0001), with higher volumes at postflight. At follow-up, these structures did not quite reach baseline levels, with still residual increases in volume for the lateral ventricle (mean \% change {\textpm} SE = 7.7 {\textpm} 1.6; P = 0.0009), the third ventricle (mean \% change {\textpm} SE = 4.7 {\textpm} 1.3; P = 0.0063), and the total ventricular volume (mean \% change {\textpm} SE = 6.4 {\textpm} 1.3; P = 0.0008). This spatiotemporal pattern of CSF compartment enlargement and recovery points to a reduced CSF resorption in microgravity as the underlying cause. Our results warrant more detailed and longer longitudinal follow-up. The clinical impact of our findings on the long-term cosmonauts{\textquoteright} health and their relation to ocular changes reported in space travelers requires further prospective studies.}, issn = {0027-8424}, doi = {10.1073/pnas.1820354116}, url = {https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/05/01/1820354116}, author = {Angelique Van Ombergen and Steven Jillings and Ben Jeurissen and Tomilovskaya, Elena and Alena Rumshiskaya and Liudmila Litvinova and Nosikova, Inna and Ekaterina V. Pechenkova and Ilya Rukavishnikov and Manko, Olga and Danylichev, Sergey and R{\"u}hl, R. Maxine and Inessa B. Kozlovskaya and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M Parizel and Valentin Sinitsyn and Steven S L Laureys and Jan Sijbers and zu Eulenburg, Peter and Floris L Wuyts} } @article {1908, title = {Brain Tissue{\textendash}Volume Changes in Cosmonauts}, journal = {New England Journal of Medicine}, volume = {379}, year = {2018}, pages = {1678 - 1680}, issn = {0028-4793}, doi = {10.1056/NEJMc1809011}, url = {http://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMc1809011}, author = {Angelique Van Ombergen and Steven Jillings and Ben Jeurissen and Tomilovskaya, Elena and R{\"u}hl, Maxine and Alena Rumshiskaya and Nosikova, Inna and Liudmila Litvinova and Annen, Jitka and Ekaterina V. Pechenkova and Inessa B. Kozlovskaya and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M Parizel and Valentin Sinitsyn and Steven S L Laureys and Jan Sijbers and zu Eulenburg, Peter and Floris L Wuyts} } @article {1584, title = {Cortical reorganization in an astronaut{\textquoteright}s brain after long-duration spaceflight}, journal = {Brain Structure and Function}, volume = {221}, year = {2016}, pages = {2873{\textendash}2876}, doi = {10.1007/s00429-015-1054-3}, author = {Athena Demertzi and Angelique Van Ombergen and Elena Tomilovskaya and Ben Jeurissen and Ekaterina V. Pechenkova and Carol Di Perri and Liudmila Litvinova and Enrico Amico and Alena Rumshiskaya and Ilya Rukavishnikov and Jan Sijbers and Valentin Sinitsyn and Inessa B. Kozlovskaya and Stefan Sunaert and Paul M Parizel and Paul H Van de Heyning and Steven S L Laureys and Floris L Wuyts} }