Potential biological mechanisms underlying spaceflight-induced depression symptoms in astronauts.
10.11817/j.issn.1672-7347.2025.250380
- Author:
Zejun LI
1
,
2
;
Jin LIU
3
;
Bangshan LIU
3
;
Mi WANG
3
;
Yumeng JU
3
;
Yan ZHANG
4
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; National Center for Mental Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha 410011, China. zejun716@
2. com.
3. Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; National Center for Mental Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha 410011, China.
4. Department of Psychiatry, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University; National Center for Mental Disorders; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha 410011, China. yan.zhang@csu.edu.cn.
- Publication Type:English Abstract
- Keywords:
astronauts;
brain function;
depressive symptoms;
inflammation;
intestinal microbiota;
neurotransmitters;
oxidative stress;
spaceflight
- MeSH:
Space Flight;
Humans;
Astronauts/psychology*;
Depression/physiopathology*;
Gastrointestinal Microbiome;
Weightlessness/adverse effects*;
Oxidative Stress;
Brain/physiopathology*;
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System;
Neuronal Plasticity;
Pituitary-Adrenal System
- From:
Journal of Central South University(Medical Sciences)
2025;50(8):1355-1362
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Long-term spaceflight exposes astronauts to multiple extreme environmental factors, such as cosmic radiation, microgravity, social isolation, and circadian rhythm disruption, that markedly increase the risk of depressive symptoms, posing a direct threat to mental health and mission safety. However, the underlying biological mechanisms remain complex and incompletely understood. The potential mechanisms of spaceflight-induced depressive symptoms involve multiple domains, including alterations in brain structure and function, dysregulation of neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factors, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuroendocrine system imbalance, and gut microbiota disturbances. Collectively, these changes may constitute the biological foundation of depressive in astronauts during spaceflight. Space-related stressors may increase the risk of depressive symptoms through several pathways: impairing hippocampal neuroplasticity, suppressing dopaminergic and serotonergic system function, reducing neurotrophic factor expression, triggering oxidative stress and inflammatory responses, activating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and disrupting gut microbiota homeostasis. Future research should integrate advanced technologies such as brain-computer interfaces to develop individualized monitoring and intervention strategies, enabling real-time detection and effective prevention of depressive symptoms to safeguard astronauts' psychological well-being and mission safety.
