In space, the brain continues to anticipate gravity
A team of scientists from UCLouvain sheds new light on how the human brain adapts movement in weightlessness.
Even in zero gravity, the human brain remains conditioned by Earth’s gravity. This is the conclusion of a study led by Philippe Lefèvre, professor at the École polytechnique at UCLouvain, published in The Journal of Neuroscience.
By analysing the movements of astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS), researchers found that after several months in space, the brain continues to integrate the rules of gravity into motor control. As a result, astronauts tend to grip objects more tightly than necessary, as if they still anticipated them falling.
The study, conducted within the ICTEAM Institute and the IoNS at UCLouvain, also shows that the brain adjusts grip force based on the potential consequences of an error. The heavier or faster an object is moved, the more the grip is automatically strengthened.
Upon returning to Earth, astronauts must gradually relearn how to adapt their movements to a gravitational environment. This persistence highlights how deeply the brain retains the imprint of gravity.
Beyond the space context, these findings open up new avenues for understanding human motor control, with potential applications in neurological rehabilitation, robotics, and the development of intelligent prosthetics.