---
title: "Zero Gravity Causes Worrisome Changes In Astronauts’ Brains"
description: "New research shows that astronauts' brains are shrunken by space travel. And they can stay that way for over half a year afterwards."
date: "2018-10-26"
modified: "2020-09-09"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/space-brain-body-medicine-shrink"
categories:
  - "Off-World"
  - "Space"
tags:
  - "medicine"
  - "neuroscience"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# Zero Gravity Causes Worrisome Changes In Astronauts’ Brains

![A brain floating against a space scene background.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/space-brain.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image:  Tag Hartman-Simkins\</em\>*

## Danger, Will Robinson

As famous Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield demonstrated with his [extraterrestrial sob session](<https://weather.com/science/space/video/what-happens-when-you-cry-in-space>), fluids behave strangely in space.

And while microgravity makes for a great viral video, it also has terrifying medical implications that we absolutely need to sort out before we send people into space for the months or years [necessary for deep space exploration](<https://futurism.com/nasa-goals-crewed-space-exploration>).

Specifically, [research published Thursday](<https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc1809011>) In the *New England Journal of Medicine* demonstrated that our brains undergo lasting changes after we spend enough time in space. According to the study, cerebrospinal fluid — which normally cushions our brain and spinal cord — behaves differently in zero gravity, causing it to pool around and squish our brains.

## Mysterious Symptoms

The brains of the Russian cosmonauts who were studied in the experiment mostly bounced back upon returning to Earth.

But even seven months later, some abnormalities remained. According to *National Geographic*, the [researchers suspect that](<https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/10/news-space-travel-brain-astronauts-body/>) high pressure inside the cosmonauts' skulls may have squeezed extra water into brain cells which later drained out en masse.

## Now What?

So far, scientists don’t know whether or not this brain shrinkage is related to any sort of cognitive or other neurological symptoms — it might just be a weird quirk of microgravity.

But along with other space hazards like deadly radiation and [squished eyeballs](<https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/research/experiments/1038.html>), it’s clear that we have a plethora of medical questions to answer before we set out to explore the stars.

**READ MORE:** [Cosmonaut brains show space travel causes lasting changes](<https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2018/10/news-space-travel-brain-astronauts-body/>) \[*National Geographic*\]

***More on space medicine: [Traveling to Mars Will Blast Astronauts With Deadly Cosmic Radiation, new Data Shows](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/radiation-exposure-mars>)***

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)