Astronauts' Brains Shift, Rotate in Skull During Spaceflight, Study Reveals Lasting Effects

• A new study reveals that spaceflight causes astronauts' brains to physically shift backward, upward, and rotate inside the skull.
• Researchers led by Rachel Seidler at MIT analyzed MRI scans of 26 astronauts and 24 non-astronauts, published on January 12.
• The brain shifts were widespread across many regions, with longer missions showing greater positional changes, some up to 2.52 mm.
• These brain position changes correlated with post-flight balance problems, with some shifts persisting up to six months after returning to Earth.
• The study highlights limitations of current microgravity simulations and calls for larger astronaut groups and broader mission durations for future research.

Why It Matters: Spaceflight causes significant and lasting physical shifts in astronauts' brains, impacting post-flight balance.