Do Low Doses of Ionizing Radiation Affect the Human Brain?

The aim of this paper is to analyze the current evidence on radiocerebral effects following exposure to <5 Sv. Dose-related cognitive and neurophysiological abnormalities among prenatally exposed children after the Chernobyl accident at gestation ages of +8 weeks were revealed at >20 mSv on the fetus and >300 mSv on the thyroid in utero; at 16–25 weeks, abnormalities were >10 mSv and >200 mSv, respectively. In adults, radiationassociated cerebrovascular effects were obtained at >0.15-0.25 Sv. Dose-related neuropsychiatric, neurophysiological, neuropsychological, and neuroimaging abnormalities following exposure to >0.3 Sv and neurophysiological and neuroimaging radiation markers at doses >1 Sv were revealed. Studies on radiation neuropsychiatric effects should be undertaken.