Romanella S M, Mencarelli L, Seyedmadani K, Jillings S, Tomilovskaya E, Rukavishnikov I, Sprugnoli G, Rossi S, Wuyts F L, Santarnecchi E
Precision Neuroscience and Neuromodulation Program, Gordon Center for Medical Imaging, Radiology Department, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, IRCSS "Santa Lucia" Foundation, Rome, Italy.
NPJ Microgravity. 2023 Mar 28;9(1):26. doi: 10.1038/s41526-023-00249-4.
As space agencies aim to reach and build installations on Mars, the crews will face longer exposure to extreme environments that may compromise their health and performance. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a painless non-invasive brain stimulation technique that could support space exploration in multiple ways. However, changes in brain morphology previously observed after long-term space missions may impact the efficacy of this intervention. We investigated how to optimize TMS for spaceflight-associated brain changes. Magnetic resonance imaging T1-weighted scans were collected from 15 Roscosmos cosmonauts and 14 non-flyer participants before, after 6 months on the International Space Station, and at a 7-month follow-up. Using biophysical modeling, we show that TMS generates different modeled responses in specific brain regions after spaceflight in cosmonauts compared to the control group. Differences are related to spaceflight-induced structural brain changes, such as those impacting cerebrospinal fluid volume and distribution. We suggest solutions to individualize TMS to enhance its efficacy and precision for potential applications in long-duration space missions.
随着太空机构致力于抵达火星并在其上建造设施，宇航员们将面临更长时间暴露于可能损害其健康和工作表现的极端环境中。经颅磁刺激（TMS）是一种无痛的非侵入性脑刺激技术，它可以在多个方面支持太空探索。然而，此前在长期太空任务后观察到的脑形态变化可能会影响这种干预措施的效果。我们研究了如何针对与太空飞行相关的脑部变化优化经颅磁刺激。在15名俄罗斯航天局宇航员和14名非飞行参与者前往国际空间站6个月之前、之后以及在7个月随访时，收集了磁共振成像T1加权扫描数据。通过生物物理建模，我们发现与对照组相比，宇航员在太空飞行后经颅磁刺激在特定脑区产生了不同的模拟反应。这些差异与太空飞行引起的脑部结构变化有关，比如那些影响脑脊液体积和分布的变化。我们提出了个性化经颅磁刺激的解决方案，以提高其在长期太空任务潜在应用中的疗效和精度。
