Abstract #2057

Fixel-based analysis of multi-shell diffusion MRI reveals white matter changes after long-duration spaceflight

Ben Jeurissen^1,2, Steven Jillings¹, Diana L Giraldo², Angelique Van Ombergen³, Elena Tomilovskaya⁴, Ekaterina Pechenkova⁵, Ilya Rukavishnikov⁴, Victor Petrovichev⁶, Jan Sijbers², Peter zu Eulenburg⁷, and Floris L Wuyts¹

¹Lab for Equilibrium Investigations and Aerospace, Dept. of Physics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, ²imec-Vision Lab, Dept. of Physics, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, ³Translational Neurosciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium, ⁴SSC RF – Institute of Biomedical Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation, ⁵Laboratory for Cognitive Research, National Research University Higher School of Economics, Moscow, Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation, ⁶Radiology Dept., National Medical Research Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre of the Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation, ⁷Institute for Neuroradiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany

Synopsis

Keywords: White Matter, Tractography & Fibre Modelling, Spaceflight

Motivation: The effects of spaceflight on the central nervous system, and in particular the brain’s white matter (WM), are poorly understood.

Goal(s): To gain knowledge about the effect of long-duration spaceflight on the brain's WM.

Approach: We performed the first fixel-based analysis of diffusion MRI scans of 18 cosmonauts before and after long-duration spaceflight.

Results: We show widespread changes in the WM after spaceflight, which are predominantly macroscopic rather than microscopic. Moreover, we detect a net increase in the amount of WM fibers in the left superior and left middle cerebellar peduncles, providing evidence for neuroplasticity in the brain induced by long-duration spaceflight.

Impact: Better understanding and monitoring of the effect of space flight on the brain is crucial to ensure the health of space crews and their performance during long-duration space missions.

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