What Happens to the Human Brain in Space?

Space travel is extraordinary, but constantly developing technology has made it all the more accessible. We’re coming to know more and more about the experience of astronauts – the work they do on the space station, the stunning views but also the challenges.

One of the biggest challenges is coping mentally. Spending such a long time in the same place, completely confined, isn’t something you experience on earth. But what actually happens to the human brain in space? What do we know for certain? And is there anything we’re still not sure about?

Microgravity

First of all, there are the effects from the difference in environment. In microgravity, the vestibular system – that controls your balance and spatial orientation – is essentially lost. The brain perceives this change in environment as a feeling of constant falling. When the human eye detects no change in environment, as vision remains steady, it can lead to complete disorientation and dizziness.

Isolation

The other side of the picture is the isolation and confinement. Dealing with total confinement is a completely unique situation. The brain becomes restless because of general isolation, but the prolonged isolation of space causes a decrease in cognitive capability too.

Another problem is the lack of a recognisable ‘day’ and ‘night’ as we know it. Not only does this lead to an improper sleeping pattern, but it also causes a kind of temporal disorientation, which makes it hard to sleep and work – even in an irregular pattern.

NASA’s Behavioural Health and Performance program tries to tackle issues that may arise in this unique situation. Their 3 main risks are pretty much what’s been listed above:

• Adverse cognitive conditions
• Bad teamwork
• Sleep deprivation

The issue of teamwork arises from being around the same set of people and feeling completely confined to this. Trying to then work with these people as a team is mentally straining. To prevent or counter the issues, NASA has outlined requirements for food, non-medical strategies and sensory stimulation.

One potential solution for sensory stimulation, they suggest, is plant life. Plants can provide sensory input as well as a hobby, aesthetic appeal and even a psychological link to earth. It’s surprising how something so small can trigger such a positive psychological association, but the earth is full of these tiny bits of nature. Little Things that Run the World explores how insects are hugely important to the earth and the role they play in habitats across the world.