Plasticidad neuronal y fisiología aeroespacial: muchos hechos y algunas especulaciones

The investigation of the neurophysiologic processes has attracted the interest of space agencies because human exploration, beyond the terrestrial atmosphere implies the exposure of
the nervous system to a series of phenomena capable of generating drastic changes at the
cellular and systemic levels. Research from the last decades suggests that neural plasticity
might be one of the main properties affected, especially during extended exposition to space
conditions (such as an eventual trip to Mars). In this mini review, I focus on the most frequently
described phenomena and their consequences at the molecular and cellular levels. These
include cosmic radiation, gravitational acceleration, hypobaric conditions, hypoxia, hyperoxia,
vibrations, confinement, magnetic fields and nutrition. It is clear that the effects of the conditions
mentioned above are multiple depending on the type of flight (e.g. intra or extra atmospheric)
and the included list is based only on the present knowledge. On the other hand, so-far
unknown, conditions might be potentially discovered during the next years of research. In
addition, I propose a broad classification of the diverse adaptations of the nervous system
related to space exploration.