Re: 2 Unrelated Questions - Atomic City Smallbore, CNS Damag

[CPT LOUIE TONRY <CPT_LOUIE_TONRY@aeha-eur-ccmail.army.mil>]

     Ralph;
     
        According to the text titled, MILITARY RADIOBIOLOGY, by James J. 
     Conklin and Richard I. Walker, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research 
     Institute, Bethesda, MD  1987, the CNS syndrom is a poorly understood 
     phenomena.  I will quote from the text:
     
        "The neurovascular syndrome is the least well understood of the 
     radiation-induced deaths.  The syndrome is unique in that death occurs 
     very quickly(within 2 days) before failures in the gastrointestinal and 
     hemopoietic systems become apparent.  It is difficult to precisely 
     define this syndrome due to (1) the lack of human exposures at the high 
     radiation doses required to produce the syndrome and (2) confusion 
     about the actual cause of death.  This type of radiation death was 
     originally designated central nervous system (CNS) syndrome because of 
     the obvious CNS signs and symptoms, such as disorientation, loss of 
     muscular coordination, respiratory distress, convulsive seizures, and 
     coma associated with death.  Histological evidence of microvascular 
     damage (72-74) and evidence of cerebral edema [such as herniation of 
     the cerebellar tonsils into the foramen magnum, the existence of 
     pressure cones, and the narrowing of the sulci )75)]have led to the 
     realization that the CNS failures that result in the early deaths are 
     due to the buildup of intracranial pressure caused by edema.  Lushbaugh 
     (76) has termed this form of death a cardiovascular shock syndrome, 
     wherein the massive loss of serum and electrolytes through leakage into 
     the extravascular tissues causes extreme circulatory problems, edema, 
     intracranial pressure, and cerebral anoxia, which can bring death 
     within 2 days.  The radiation threshold for this syndrome is equally 
     unclear.  Generally it is thought that 5,000 cGy is necessary for the 
     neurovascular syndrome, and doses above 10,000 cGy are required for 
     direct damage of the nervous system."
     
        72.  Haymaker, W., Lagner, G., Nanta, W.J.H., Pickering, J.E., Sloper, 
J.C., and Vogel, F.S., THE EFFECTS OF BARIUM-140, LANTHANUM-140 (GAMMA) 
RADIATION ON THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM AND PITUITARY GLAND OF MACAQUE MONKEYS. 
J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 17, 12-57 (1958).
     
        73.  Vogel, F.S.,CHANGES IN THE FINE STRUCTURE OF CELLEBELLAR NEURONS 
FOLLOWING IONIZING RADIATION, J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 18, 580-589 (1959).
     
        74.  Wilson, S.G. RADIATION INDUCED CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM DEATH: A 
STUDY OF THE PATHOLOGIC FINDING IN MONKEYS INADEATED WITH MASSIVE DOSES OF 
COBALT-60 (GAMMA) RADIATION, J. Neuropathol. Exp. Neurol. 19, 195-215 (1960).
     
        75.  Clemente, C.D., and Holst, E.A., PATHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN NEURONS, 
NEUROGLIA AND BLOOD BRAIN BARRIER INDUCED BY X-IRRADIATION OF HEADS OF MONKEYS. 
AMA, Arch, Neurol. Psychiatry 71, 66-79 (1954).
     
        76.  Lushbaugh, C.C., THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ASPECTS OF MODELS 
EXPLAINING "GASTROINTESTINAL DEATH " AN OTHER LETHAL RADIATION SYNDROMES.  
Comparative Cellular and Species Radiosensitivity (V.P. Bond and T. Sugahara, 
eds.), pp. 288-297. Igaku Shoin, Tokyo, (1969).
     
     
I understood to mean that this syndrome was caused by the damage of the blood 
vessels within the brain mass causing loss of structure and impermiability of 
the small veins and arteries.  
     
Louie Tonry
Cneter for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine, Landstuhl, Germany
     
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: 2 Unrelated Questions - Atomic City Smallbore, CNS Damage -R
Author:  SSG Mircea Ardelean at AEHA-EUR 
Date:    2/24/95 7:12 AM
     
     
     FYI
     
     
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Subject: 2 Unrelated Questions - Atomic City Smallbore, CNS Damage -R
Author:  radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu at Internet-Mail 
Date:    2/23/95 8:25 PM
     
     
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