After 237 Days in Space, How Does the Brain Regain Its Balance?

Returning to Earth does not end with the spacecraft’s landing; the brain, which has spent months accustomed to weightlessness, must readjust to gravity. This is what researchers are tracking for French astronaut Sophie Adenot following her 237-day mission.

According to the European Space Agency, Adenot underwent three magnetic resonance imaging sessions during the first two weeks after her return, at the “NeuroHab” facility of the German Aerospace Center in Cologne.

In microgravity, the system responsible for balance and motion perception receives different signals than those it is accustomed to on Earth.

The brain reorganizes its responses, and the adaptation phase may be accompanied by dizziness and disorientation.

The scans allow researchers to trace neural communication pathways, how different brain regions interact, as well as changes in the brain’s position within the skull and the distribution of the surrounding cerebrospinal fluid. Researchers are also interested in understanding the link between these changes and vision problems experienced by some astronauts.

Because readaptation begins rapidly after landing, scientists are racing against time to collect measurements.

Another scan is scheduled after six months to determine how much the brain has returned to its pre-flight state.

The experiment, which began in 2013, includes brain images of approximately 50 astronauts.

Results from Adenot’s follow-up have not yet been finalized, as the team seeks to determine the speed and trajectory of recovery after prolonged stays away from Earth.