Primate physical activity following exposure to a single 4600-rad pulsed dose of mixed gamma-neutron radiation. Scientific report

Technical Report · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1976

OSTI ID:7317345

Franz, C G; Clark, L; Cable, J W

The objective of this study is to determine the effects of high neutron (n/gamma = 3) radiation on the performance of a physical activity task. This paper reports the effects of a 4600-rad pulse (n/gamma = 3, pulse width = 50 msec) on the performance capability of 10 male rhesus monkeys trained to operate a physical activity wheel as a nonmotorized treadmill. The pattern of postexposure incapacitation was: (1) an early onset of incapacitation with 80 percent of the animals being incapacitated within 8 minutes postexposure; (2) an apparent recovery from incapacitation with only 30 percent of the animals incapacitated between 45 and 70 minutes postexposure; (3) a steady increase in the number of animals exhibiting incapacitation until 60 percent were incapacitated between 105 minutes and the end of the test period 6 hours postexposure. At 24 hours postexposure, 90 percent of the animals were incapacitated. Group mean performance for animals, when not incapacitated, was 58 + or - 9 percent of base line throughout the 6-hour test period. Survival time of the group ranged from 7 to 132 hours with a mean of 37 hours. Earlier work has suggested that there are differences in the postirradiation response of restrained animals and unrestrained physically active animals. This observation is of considerable interest to the military services which have many missions that require movement or physical activity for combat effectiveness. This study addresses this militarily relevant question. (Author)

• Research Organization: Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Inst., Bethesda, MD (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7317345
• Report Number(s): AD-A-033513; AFRRI-SR-76-42
• 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.
ANIMALS
BARYONS
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
BIOLOGICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
FAST NEUTRONS
FERMIONS
GAMMA RADIATION
HADRONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
IRRADIATION
MAMMALS
MONKEYS
NEUTRONS
NUCLEONS
PHYSIOLOGY
PRIMATES
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
VERTEBRATES