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Baccharis_pilularis t1_j9sbus8 wrote
I'm guessing from the extract that the brain changes are inferred to be a result of the pilots' spatial orientation & navigation demands; in which case, the study offers some interesting insights into adaptive brain development, but little useful info on the environmental effects of space (prolonged zero-g and radiation, etc.) on brain tissues.
dec0y t1_j9sl46b wrote
If anything, I think fighter pilots have a more strenuous experience than astronauts. They have to deal with intense fluctuations between high and low Gs, and I imagine that cannot be very healthy for the brain.
Astronauts do experience relatively high Gs during launch, but nowhere near what fighter pilots experience during high maneuverability exercises - and after a brief launch, the rest of their mission is entirely in 0G.
DreamingForYouAlways OP t1_j9rmjo9 wrote
Link to the study:
> We found decreased whole-brain functional connectivity of the left inferior frontal gyrus in fighter pilots compared to controls and this cluster showed decreased functional connectivity with the medial superior frontal gyrus. Functional connectivity increased between the right parietal operculum 2 and the left visual cortex, and between the right and left angular gyrus in pilots compared to controls. These findings suggest altered motor, vestibular, and multisensory processing in the brains of fighter pilots, possibly reflecting coping strategies to altered sensorimotor demands during flight. Altered functional connectivity in frontal areas may reflect adaptive cognitive strategies to cope with challenging conditions during flight. These findings provide novel insights into brain functional characteristics of fighter pilots, which may be of interest to humans traveling to space.
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screech_owl_kachina t1_j9r0a9x wrote
At least up until the Space Shuttle era, weren't most astronauts also former fighter pilots?
PerformanceNow t1_j9qmb9o wrote
While fascinating, I think it's a stretch to assume that fighter pilots and astronauts would have similar enough brain structures to be cross-compatible in a study like this.
Yes, they deal with similar things, but Astronauts deal with so much more than fighter pilots do. They also move much faster, experience total weightlessness, and spend extended periods of time away from Earth's gravitational pull.
What can be extrapolated from this study requires a huge asterisk saying "but we can't know for sure since they weren't astronauts and their professions are still markedly different.