• DOI:10.1002/jnr.23073
• Corpus ID: 9894239

Radiation‐induced early changes in the brain and behavior: Serial diffusion tensor imaging and behavioral evaluation after graded doses of radiation

@article{Trivedi2012RadiationinducedEC,
  title={Radiation‐induced early changes in the brain and behavior: Serial diffusion tensor imaging and behavioral evaluation after graded doses of radiation},
  author={Richa Trivedi and Ahmad Raza Khan and Poonam Rana and Seenu Haridas and B S Hemanth Kumar and Kailash Manda and Ram Kishore Singh Rathore and Rajendra Prashad Tripathi and Subash Khushu},
  journal={Journal of Neuroscience Research},
  year={2012},
  volume={90}
}

• R. Trivedi, A. R. Khan, +6 authors S. Khushu
• Published 1 October 2012
• Psychology, Medicine
• Journal of Neuroscience Research

The nuclear arsenal and the use of nuclear technologies have enhanced the likelihood of whole‐body/partial‐body radiation exposure. The central nervous system is highly susceptible to even low doses of radiation. With the aim of detecting and monitoring the pathologic changes of radiation‐induced damage in brain parenchyma, we used serial diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) with a 7T magnetic resonance unit and neurobehavioral assessments mice irradiated with 3‐, 5‐, and 8‐Gy doses of radiation. Fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values at each time point (baseline, day 1, day 5, and day 10) were quantified from hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus, cudate‐putamen, frontal cortex, sensorimotor cortex, corpus callosum, cingulum, and cerebral peduncle. Behavioral tests were performed at baseline, day 5, and day 10. A decrease in FA values with time was observed in all three groups. At day 10, dose‐dependent decreases in FA and MD values were observed in all of the regions compared with baseline. Behavioral data obtained in this study correlate with FA values. Radiation‐induced affective disorders were not radiation dose dependent, insofar as the anxiety‐like symptoms at the lower dose (3 Gy) mimics to the symptoms with the higher dose (8 Gy) level but not with the moderate dose. However, there was a dose‐dependent decline in cognitive function as well as FA values. Behavioral data support the DTI indices, so it is suggested that DTI may be a useful tool for noninvasive monitoring of radiation‐induced brain injury. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.