THE INFLUENCE OF LOW DOSES OF CHRONIC TOTAL X-RAY IRRADIATION ON THE HIGHER NERVOUS ACTIVITY AND CERTAIN VEGETATIVE FUNCTIONS OF WHITE RATS

On 16 white male rats the dynamics of changes of the higher nervous activity under the influence of wholebody chronic roentgen irradiation were studied. The single dose amounted to 0.1r. The irradiation was carried out every other day, the total dose for 4 1/2 months being 5 r. First of all the animals displayed signs of weakening of internal inhibition, then there developed supraliminal inhibition manifested by phasic phenomena, consecutive inhibition, and exhaustion of cortical cells. After the irradiation was discontinued, a relative normalization of cortical dynamics occurred. The irradiation did not exert a noticeable influence on the weight and temperature of the body, or on the content of erythrocytes and leukocytes in the peripheral blood. Some differences in the degree and duration of higher nervous activity disturbances in the irradiated animals partly depended upon their typological features. (auth)