Cognitive Impairments in Subjects Exposed to Radiation during Prenatal Development

Objective. To evaluate cognitive status in subjects exposed to ionizing radiation during antenatal development. Materials and methods. A total of 77 subjects with antenatal exposure to radiation were studied, along with a reference group of 73 subjects living in radiologically unpolluted territories in the Chelyabinsk region. Clinical, clinical psychological (Mini Mental State Examination, MMSE), Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test (WAIS), and proverb interpretation) neurophysiological (EEG), and laboratory (cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoproteins triglycerides, cortisol, melatonin) methods were used. Results and discussion. These investigations showed that a significantly greater proportion of subjects exposed to radiation during antenatal development had nonpsychotic mental disorders with a predominance of organic mental impairments (cognitive and asthenic). Neurophysiological studies identified more profound abnormalities in brain bioelectrical activity with pathological rhythms and a predominance of the θ rhythm among those exposed to radiation. Clinical psychological study data identified a significant decrease in analytical-synthetic ability in irradiated subjects, along with lower general and verbal IQ levels. These changes were accompanied by higher cortisol and melatonin levels, supporting activation of and tension in the mechanisms of adaptation in subjects irradiated during antenatal development.

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