Duration of Memory Loss Due to Electron Beam Exposure.
Abstract
Electron beam exposure has been shown to produce retrograde amnesia (RA). The objective of this study was to determine the duration of memory loss upon electron beam exposure. It is important to know if exposure produces a memory loss of the events which occurred in the preceding 1 sec or memory loss of the preceding minute's events. The task was a single-trial avoidance paradigm. The animal was placed in a small aversive chamber. After a 90-sec adaptation period, a door opened that provided access to a large, dark, preferred chamber. The time required for the animal to enter the preferred chamber was the measure of interest (T). Once inside the preferred chamber, a 1-sec footshock was delivered. Following the footshock by some preset delay (delta T), the animal was exposed to a 10-microsec, 10-rad electron beam (or X-ray). A second trial on the task was run 2 hr postexposure. The second trial consisted of placing the animal in the aversive chamber and monitoring the time (T') required to enter the preferred chamber. If the electron beam exposure interfered with the animal's ability to recall the shock, T' would be greatly reduced as compared with the sham controls. The exposure delay times used were delta T = 1, 3, 5, and 10 sec.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1983
- Accession Number
- ADA132941
Entities
People
- Bert M. Tilton
- Thomas G. Wheeler
Organizations
- United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine