[Neurological and psychopathological syndromes in the follow-up period after exposure to ionizing radiation].

Neurologic, psychiatric and psychophysiologic (computed EEG) examinations were carried out in 100 Chernobyl accident's survivors who had got acute radiation sickness (ARS), in 100 Chernobyl liquidators who worked for 5 or more years in the zone (1986-1987) as well as in control groups: 20 normal age- and gender-matched adults and 50 veterans of the Afganistan war with consequences of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 50 veterans with both PTSD and mild closed head injury. Left-hemispheric cortical-limbic and diencephalic right-hemispheric syndromes were revealed. Left-hemispheric frontal-temporal-limbic dysfunction was associated with schizophrenia-like syndrome, while diencephalic right-hemispheric dysfunction--with the affective syndrome. Doses more than 0.3 Sv (including the ARS-patients) resulted more frequently in the left-hemispheric cortical-limbic and schizophrenia-like syndromes. Diencephalic right-hemispheric and affective syndromes were more frequently observed after the exposure to doses less [corrected] than 0.3 Sv. Development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders in the irradiated Chernobyl survivors could be due to radiation-induced left fronto-temporal-limbic dysfunction following irradiation doses more than 0.3 Sv (including the ARS-patients). The cerebral patterns of schizophrenia and postradiation brain damage are similar. Persons exposed fo 0.3 Sv and more could be classified as the group of higher risk of the development of schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The authors suggest that ionizing radiation may be an environmental trigger factor which can cause schizophrenia in the predisposed subjects.