Effects of Cranial Exposure to 170-MeV Proton Radiation at a Dose of 5 Gy on the Visual Behavior and Optomotor Response of Adults Rats

Abstract

In this experiment, the optomotor reflex and visual behavior were evaluated in rats exposed to protons at a dose of 5 Gy. To evaluate the visual function, equipment including a platform and a display with visual stimulation was used. Some behavioral changes induced in rats under cranial irradiation with 170 MeV protons have been detected. The cranial effect of protons on animals did not lead to a statistically significant decrease in the optomotor response (the ratio of correct and incorrect head turns) in the rats on days 30 and 90 after irradiation. However, in the remote period after irradiation, statistically significant changes in the visual behavior of the irradiated animals were detected. It has been established that the total time of the animal’s head in the area where it is able to focus on the visual stimulus is decreased in the irradiated animals by day 90 after irradiation.