How flight time changes a fighter pilot’s brain

Blasting off into space poses huge demands on the brain and the rest of the body. Astronauts  must face the immense g-forces–or G’s–present during blast-off, while rapidly interpreting often conflicting sensory and visual stimuli, all while controlling a very complex vehicle at extreme speeds.

All in all, it requires a lot of multitasking and is incredibly taxing. Previous research has suggested that the brain may undergo changes to the structure and function of the brain following space flight and astronaut training, also known as neural plasticity.

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