Enhanced acoustic startle responding in rats with radiation-induced hippocampal granule cell hypoplasia

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:5405531

Mickley, G A; Ferguson, J L

Irradiation of the neonatal rat hippocampus reduces the proliferation of granule cells in the dentate gyrus and results in locomotor hyperactivity, behavioral preservation, and deficits on some learned tasks. In order to address the role of changes in stimulus salience and behavioral inhibition in animals with this type of brain damage, irradiated and normal rats were compared in their startle reactions to an acoustic stimulus. Irradiated rats startled with a consistently higher amplitude than control and were more likely to exhibit startle responses. These animals with hippocampal damage also failed to habituate to the startle stimulus and, under certain circumstances, showed potentiated startle responses after many tone presentations.

• Research Organization: Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst., Bethesda, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5405531
• Report Number(s): AD-A-211220/9/XAB; AFRRI-SR--89-20
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560152* -- Radiation Effects on Animals-- Animals
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ACOUSTICS
AGE GROUPS
AMPLITUDES
ANIMALS
BEHAVIOR
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
BODY
BRAIN
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM
CHILDREN
HIPPOCAMPUS
INFANTS
INHIBITION
IRRADIATION
MAMMALS
NERVOUS SYSTEM
ORGANS
PRESERVATION
RADIATION EFFECTS
RATS
REFLEXES
RODENTS
STIMULI
VERTEBRATES