[Cognitive impairments in persons exposed to radiation during the period of prenatal development].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the cognitive status in persons exposed to ionizing radiation in prenatal period.


METHODS
The study included in-utero exposed people (n = 77), and the comparison group (n = 73), which consisted of people who lived in the territories of the Chelyabinsk Oblast that were not radioactive. The following methods were used: clinical, clinical-psychological (Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the WAIS test, the proverb interpretation task, neurophysiological (EEG) methods, laboratory-based methods (cholesterol, high and low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, cortisol, melatonin), and methods of statistical data processing.


CONCLUSIONS
The number of people with non-psychotic mental disorders with the prevalence of organic mental disorders (cognitive and asthenic) was significantly higher among in-utero exposed subjects. A neurophysiological study revealed more severe changes in the bioelectric brain activity with the presence of pathological and theta-rhythms in exposed persons. The clinical-psychological study revealed a significant decrease in the analytic/synthetic ability in exposed people and significantly lower level of the general and verbal IQ. These changes were accompanied by higher levels of cortisol and melatonin which led to the activation and tension of the adaptation mechanisms in in-utero exposed subjects.
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine of FMBA of Russia, Chelyabinsk.
E Yu
EY
Burtovaya
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine of FMBA of Russia, Chelyabinsk.
T E
TE
Kantina
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine of FMBA of Russia, Chelyabinsk.
M V
MV
Belova
Urals Research Center for Radiation Medicine of FMBA of Russia, Chelyabinsk.
A V
AV
Akleyev
D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D006854:Hydrocortisone