AROUSAL REACTIONS WITH A BRIEF PARTIAL-AND WHOLE-BODY-X-RAY EXPOSURE
A study was made to determine the sensitivity of the mammalian nervous system to nonvisual stimulation with ionizing radiation. Blinded rats were exposed, while asleep, to a 1-sec burst of x rays and measurements of behavioral arousal and heart rate were made to indicate activation of the central nervous system. The stimulus was immediately effective since reaction latencies of 1 sec or less were frequently recorded. The relative incidence of arousal and of a heart rate reaction, was found to be related to the radiation dose rate over the range of from 0.05 to 3.2 r/sec. The threshold dose rate was less than 0.05 r/ sec. To test for regional distribution of sensitivity, additional blinded animals were exposed to a burst of x rays at the dose rate of 1.0 r/sec with exposure limited to the head region or to the rest of the body. In that arousal was elicited with exposure of either region it is evident that sensitivity to x- ray stimulation is widely distributed. Since exposure of the head produced a greater incidence and duration of disturbance, differential sensitivity between regions corresponds more closely to the density of ganglionic tissue than to the total tissue volume exposed. The results of the study are consistent with the postulation that ganglionic tissue is directly sensitive to ionizing radiation. (auth)
- Research Organization:
- Naval Radiological Defense Lab., San Francisco
- NSA Number:
- NSA-18-000048
- OSTI ID:
- 4178339
- Report Number(s):
- USNRDL-TR-670; AD-421070
- Country of Publication:
- Country unknown/Code not available
- Language:
- English
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