Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were to suddenly change your address and move, say, to space? NASA is investigating this difficult hypothetical case and trying to solve the riddle.
So far, and from what the experiments show, your brain wouldn't be too happy about it. On the contrary, there's a good chance it would loathe the experience. You see, space does strange things to this organ of ours.
One of the reasons NASAcontinues to send people to live aboard the International Space Station is to study them and see how their bodies respond to microgravity.
One of the studies currently underway is: “The Effects of Spaceflight on Neurocognitive Performance: Extent, Longevity, and Neural Basis,” which examines changes in both the structure and function of the brain and determining how long it takes to recover after returning from space.
As part of this research, NASA researchers closely monitor astronauts and detect even the slightest change in their behavior. Brain imaging is also involved.
The astronauts' mental health is tested before they embark on the International Space Station, retested midway through their stay on the orbital complex, and then at the end of their six-month journey. As for their brain anatomy, researchers are closely examining it to determine changes both before and after spaceflight.
So far, they have already revealed that because there is no “up” or “down” in space, the human brain tends to get seriously confused. In turn, this affects the way astronauts move and think. Specifically, they find it harder to control their movements and complete mental tests.
Just the fact that their visual field is space can cause astronauts to have trouble keeping their balance, perhaps even causing perceptual hallucinations.
"On Earth, your balance system tells you how your head is moving relative to gravity, but in space, the reference gravity is gone. That causes these perceptual illusions, as well as the difficulty coordinating eye and head movement," says researcher Rachel D. Seidler of the University of Michigan.
NASA has high hopes that, within a few years, a crewed mission with astronauts will successfully land on the red planet. But to launch such a mission to Mars and then return the crew safe and sound, the space agency must take into account all risk factors.
The effects of space conditions on the human body are among these risk factors. Therefore, NASA tests and experiments will still continue on the International Space Station.
