Changes in cerebral oxygenation during parabolic flight

Publication: Contribution to journalJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Assessing changes in brain activity under extreme conditions like weightlessness is a desirable, but difficult undertaking. Results from previous studies report specific changes in brain activity connected to an increase or decrease in gravity forces. Nevertheless, so far it remains unclear (1) whether this is connected to a redistribution of blood volume during micro- or hypergravity and (2) whether this redistribution might account for neurocognitive alterations. This study aimed to display changes in brain oxygenation caused by altered gravity conditions during parabolic flight. It was hypothesized that an increase in gravity would be accompanied by a decrease in brain oxygenation, whereas microgravity would lead to an increase in brain oxygenation. Oxygenized and deoxygenized haemoglobin were measured using two near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) probes on the left and right prefrontal cortex throughout ten parabolas in nine subjects. Results show a decrease of 1.44 μmol/l in oxygenized haemoglobin with the onset of hypergravity, followed by a considerable increase during microgravity (up to 5.34 μmol/l). In contrast, deoxygenized haemoglobin was not altered during the first but only during the second hypergravity phase and showed only minor changes during microgravity. Changes in oxygenized and deoxygenized haemoglobin indicate an increase in arterial flow to the brain and a decrease in venous outflow during microgravity.

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean journal of applied physiology
Volume113
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)1617-1623
Number of pages7
ISSN1439-6319
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 01.06.2013

Research areas and keywords

  • Adult
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Female
  • Gravitation
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Oxygen
  • Oxyhemoglobins
  • Prefrontal Cortex
  • Weightlessness Simulation

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Changes in cerebral oxygenation during parabolic flight'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Citation