title: Cranial irradiation of young rats impairs later learning and growth.
abstract: Young rats (26 days) were exposed to ionizing radiation of the head of 0, 1200, 2400, or 3000 rads total in 200 rads/day doses. The subsequent growth of irradiated rats was permanently impaired: such impairment was positively related  to amount of irradiation. Beginning in adolescence, rats were trained on a horizontal/vertical visual discrimination in a runway task, and although all four groups mastered the discrimination, they differed in their patterns of acquisition. These results indicate long term effects are associated with a cranial irradiation regimen similar to that given to children suffering acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL).
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000528:radiation effects; D001921:Brain / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006128:Growth / Q000528:radiation effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats