NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL AND BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS OF INCIDENTAL IRRADIATION OF 'NORMAL' HUMANS.

Abstract

The effects of daily Cobalt-60 irradiation on sensory detection of radiation, visual perception, and simple motor performance were investigated in 'normal' human subjects during actual and sham irradiation of the apparently normal brain incidental to radiotherapy. The experiments were carried out in both dark and light adapted persons, and it was found that: sensory detection of radiation by humans is not reliable when the phosphene effect is eliminated; visual perception is differentially affected by radiation as a function of the dark-light adaptation state of the retina; and simple motor performance appears to be impaired when central portions of the brain receive about 50 rad. In addition to these experiments, complex motor performance in multiportal pelvic-irradiated patients was assessed using a modified target gun. The results suggested no reliable posttreatment effects of Cobalt-60 irradiation on complex motor performance under the specified test conditions. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1969
Accession Number
AD0702524

Entities

People

  • B. H. Feder
  • C. A. Sondhaus
  • J. W. Schaeflein
  • R. S. Boswell

Organizations

  • University of California, Irvine

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Cooperation
  • Detection
  • Health Services
  • Hospitals
  • Mental Processes
  • Perception
  • Psychological Phenomena And Processes
  • Psychology
  • Radiation
  • Radiotherapy
  • Therapy
  • Visual Perception

Readers

  • Brain and Cognitive Science; Experimental Psychology; Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Nuclear and Radiation Engineering.
  • Vision Science/Vision Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience.