Early effects of X-irradiation on central nerve fibres

Abstract

Although there have been a number of morphological studies of the late effects of radiation on the brain and spinal cord, early changes in central nerve fibres have not been adequately evaluated. The occurrence of delayed necrosis of the cord months or years after therapeutic doses of radiation is well-recognized (Boden, 1948; Jellinger and Sturm, 1971) and has been attributed to the induction of somatic mutations in interstitial cells (Zeman, 1966). Since transient neurological symptoms consisting of “electrical” paraesthesiae on neck flexion may occur soon after irradiation in man (Jones, 1964), we decided to look for morphological changes in the nerve fibres in the cord in the early stages after experimental irradiation using the particularly sensitive technique of isolation of single nerve fibres (McDonald and Ohlrich, 1971), together with light and electron microscopic examination of cord sections.