By Alisha Katz, APR

As the world watches the astronauts on the Boeing Starliner stuck in space for many months due to a capsule malfunction, more questions are arising about the impacts of people spending extended periods of time in space.

University of Florida researcher Rachael Seidler, Ph.D., has been examining these questions in her study of the long-term effects of long-duration spaceflight on neurocognitive performance.

In collaboration with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Seidler — a professor in the College of Health & Human Performance’s Department of Applied Physiology & Kinesiology and the deputy director of the UF Astraeus Space Institute — is researching how spaceflight may affect astronauts in microgravity, or weak gravity, environments.

“This study may shed light on some critical unknowns,” Seidler said. “Do the brain, eye, and behavior changes that we have measured in other studies continue to persist beyond six months postflight? Can we accurately predict which astronauts might face greater challenges during missions or how long their recovery may take? Are we giving astronauts a long enough break between missions?”

The study, slated for completion in 2033, involves monitoring a handful of astronauts each year — collecting baseline measurements before they depart for space and monitoring them for five years after they return to Earth.

Participants will undergo MRI scans before launch and upon return to assess changes in brain and eye structure and function, and additional measurements and cognitive and ocular assessments will be taken in orbit. Data will be collected at the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Texas, and researchers from UF and a handful of other universities will analyze and interpret the results.

Seidler and a team of scientists will measure the aspects of brain and cognitive function, including structural changes to the eye and optic nerves and changes in visual perception. The researchers will also examine the impact of spaceflight on fluid shifts toward the head and within the skull. Previous studies have shown that these changes can endure six to 12 months following an astronaut’s return to Earth. But this study will be the first to test for potential longer-term consequences.

In addition, there is also the question of whether spaceflight-induced central nervous system changes interact with the aging process, especially among retired astronauts. Although long-term spaceflight has picked up momentum over the past few decades, how it will impact astronauts as they age remains largely unknown. Because of this, Seidler and her colleagues will also study former astronauts. Seidler hopes the study will contribute to a better understanding of how to care for active and retired astronauts – a select group of exceptionally physically and cognitively fit individuals.

“When considering the long-term effects, it’s crucial to determine if these individuals resemble their age-matched peers,” Seidler said. “Will those crew members who have spent extended periods in microgravity experience aging differently?”

Seidler’s questions are increasingly relevant. Since the 1970s, the space exploration boom has resulted in astronauts worldwide spending longer in spaceflight.

In the mid-1990s, Russian cosmonaut Valeri Polyakov set the record for the longest spaceflight at 437 days, and in 2023, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio set the record for the longest spaceflight by an American at 371 days.

However, little has been known about the impact of long-duration spaceflight on the brain, behavior, and aging.

Seidler – and her research – are changing that.

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