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U.S. Department of Energy
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Effects of soman on visual processing

Technical Report ·
OSTI ID:7113578

We have demonstrated previously that diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) causes a preferential loss of low spatial frequency information in the visual evoked response (VER) of the adult cat. The effect is dose related, can be reversed with atropine, is closely related to acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity, and shows spontaneous recovery to baseline conditions over 15-20 hours without recovery of AChE activity. After DFP, dopamine (DA) turnover increases and there are consistent changes in gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), and muscarinic, DA, and GABA receptors in visual cortex. The experiments described here were designed to investigate the effect of soman on visual processing in the adult cat. The VER was used as our response measure, and all drugs were given i.v. Following soman (1-5 ug/kg), there is a preferential loss to low spatial frequencies in the VER. The loss is dose related, can be reversed with atropine, seems closely linked to AChE activity, but shows no tendency for spontaneous recovery over the next 24 hours. There is no consistent change in DA turnover in visual cortex; however, changes in GABA and the already mentioned receptor populations are similar to those seen after DFP.

Research Organization:
Army Aeromedical Research Lab., Fort Rucker, AL (United States)
OSTI ID:
7113578
Report Number(s):
AD-P-008828/6/XAB
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English