We knew that space travel had effects such as muscle weakness and slight deterioration in vision. But these journeys aren’t something we’ve done for centuries, and long-term missions may even be new. Therefore, we are likely to notice different side effects over time.
A new study has done just that. A new effect of long-term space travel was learned as a result of the checks of Russian researchers on 5 cosmonauts. According to the results obtained, the cosmonauts who spent time in orbit experienced loss of brain cells.
Work will continue to prevent this
The research, conducted by examining Russian cosmonauts after the mission, was published last Monday in the journal JAMA Neurology. In the blood tests administered to the 5 cosmonauts who spent 5.5 months on the International Space Station, they all found biomarkers indicating brain cell damage in their blood. Researchers are not yet sure whether these biomarkers also indicate damage to brain function. However, he is still confident that this journey has taken a toll on the health of the cosmonauts.
Neuroscientist Henrik Zetterberg, who participated as co-author of the study from the University of Gothenburg, emphasized that the study is the first to reveal the effect of space travel on the brain, and added: If space travel will become more common in the future, this effect should be further investigated and prevented.
Zetterberg said, “To prevent this, we must first find out what increases the damage. Is it the absence of gravity, changes in cerebral fluid, the stress of takeoff and landing, or something else? There are countless exciting experiments that can be performed on humans on Earth. ” he continued.
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