Persistent nature of alterations in cognition and neuronal circuit excitability after exposure to simulated cosmic radiation in mice.

Persistent nature of alterations in cognition and neuronal circuit excitability after exposure to simulated cosmic radiation in mice. Exp Neurol. 2018 Mar 11;: Authors: Parihar VK, Maroso M, Syage A, Allen BD, Angulo MC, Soltesz I, Limoli CL Abstract Of the many perils associated with deep space travel to Mars, neurocognitive complications associated with cosmic radiation exposure are of particular concern. Despite these realizations, whether and how realistic doses of cosmic radiation cause cognitive deficits and neuronal circuitry alterations several months after exposure remains unclear. In addition, even less is known about the temporal progression of cosmic radiation-induced changes transpiring over the duration of a time period commensurate with a flight to Mars. Here we show that rodents exposed to the second most prevalent radiation type in space (i.e. helium ions) at low, realistic doses, exhibit significant hippocampal and cortical based cognitive decrements lasting 1 year after exposure. Cosmic-radiation-induced impairments in spatial, episodic and recognition memory were temporally coincident with deficits in cognitive flexibility and reduced rates of fear extinction, elevated anxiety and depression like behavior. At the circuit level, irradiation caused significant changes in the intrinsic properties (resting membrane potential, input resistance) of principal cells in the perirhinal cortex, a region of the brain implic...
Source: Experimental Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Exp Neurol Source Type: research