Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure

Ionizing radiation is omnipresent. We are continuously exposed to natural (e.g., radon and cosmic) and man-made radiation sources, including those from industry but especially from the medical sector. The increasing use of medical radiation modalities, in particular those employing low-dose radiatio...

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Main Authors: Tine Verreet, Mieke Verslegers, Roel Quintens, Sarah Baatout, Mohammed A. Benotmane
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-01-01
Series:Neural Plasticity
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/1243527
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author Tine Verreet
Mieke Verslegers
Roel Quintens
Sarah Baatout
Mohammed A. Benotmane
author_facet Tine Verreet
Mieke Verslegers
Roel Quintens
Sarah Baatout
Mohammed A. Benotmane
author_sort Tine Verreet
collection DOAJ
description Ionizing radiation is omnipresent. We are continuously exposed to natural (e.g., radon and cosmic) and man-made radiation sources, including those from industry but especially from the medical sector. The increasing use of medical radiation modalities, in particular those employing low-dose radiation such as CT scans, raises concerns regarding the effects of cumulative exposure doses and the inappropriate utilization of these imaging techniques. One of the major goals in the radioprotection field is to better understand the potential health risk posed to the unborn child after radiation exposure to the pregnant mother, of which the first convincing evidence came from epidemiological studies on in utero exposed atomic bomb survivors. In the following years, animal models have proven to be an essential tool to further characterize brain developmental defects and consequent functional deficits. However, the identification of a possible dose threshold is far from complete and a sound link between early defects and persistent anomalies has not yet been established. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on brain developmental and persistent defects resulting from in utero radiation exposure and addresses the many questions that still remain to be answered.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2090-5904
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publishDate 2016-01-01
publisher Wiley
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series Neural Plasticity
spelling doaj-art-b0feabf6410649b7ac8e9b551de2f8c92025-02-03T06:10:52ZengWileyNeural Plasticity2090-59041687-54432016-01-01201610.1155/2016/12435271243527Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation ExposureTine Verreet0Mieke Verslegers1Roel Quintens2Sarah Baatout3Mohammed A. Benotmane4Radiobiology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, 2400 Mol, BelgiumRadiobiology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, 2400 Mol, BelgiumRadiobiology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, 2400 Mol, BelgiumRadiobiology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, 2400 Mol, BelgiumRadiobiology Unit, Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Institute for Environment, Health and Safety, Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, SCK•CEN, 2400 Mol, BelgiumIonizing radiation is omnipresent. We are continuously exposed to natural (e.g., radon and cosmic) and man-made radiation sources, including those from industry but especially from the medical sector. The increasing use of medical radiation modalities, in particular those employing low-dose radiation such as CT scans, raises concerns regarding the effects of cumulative exposure doses and the inappropriate utilization of these imaging techniques. One of the major goals in the radioprotection field is to better understand the potential health risk posed to the unborn child after radiation exposure to the pregnant mother, of which the first convincing evidence came from epidemiological studies on in utero exposed atomic bomb survivors. In the following years, animal models have proven to be an essential tool to further characterize brain developmental defects and consequent functional deficits. However, the identification of a possible dose threshold is far from complete and a sound link between early defects and persistent anomalies has not yet been established. This review provides an overview of the current knowledge on brain developmental and persistent defects resulting from in utero radiation exposure and addresses the many questions that still remain to be answered.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/1243527
spellingShingle Tine Verreet
Mieke Verslegers
Roel Quintens
Sarah Baatout
Mohammed A. Benotmane
Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure
Neural Plasticity
title Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure
title_full Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure
title_fullStr Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure
title_full_unstemmed Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure
title_short Current Evidence for Developmental, Structural, and Functional Brain Defects following Prenatal Radiation Exposure
title_sort current evidence for developmental structural and functional brain defects following prenatal radiation exposure
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/1243527
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