Omega-3 effects on electrocorticographic patterns of adult Wistar rats exposed to ionizing radiation

This study aimed to assess the effect of supplementation with omega-3 in Wistar rats exposed to ionizing radiation in a dose of 18 Gy on the cortical electrical activity, using mathematical methods such as the power spectrum (PS) and the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) in the evaluation of the electrocorticogram (ECoG) record. The PS analysis showed that in non-irradiated animals but supplemented with omega-3 there was a decrease in the power of the beta rhythm, while the DFA applied to different frequency ranges of the ECoG showed a significant increase in the long-range correlation only for the theta wave when compared with non-supplemented animals. In the evaluation of the radiation effect through the PS, an increase in the power of the theta rhythm was observed in both groups (non-supplemented and supplemented animals) only when they were evaluated one week after irradiation. The DFA method also showed difference in this wave. The PS and DFA methods applied to the ECoG record allowed a quantitative analysis of the cortical electrical activity in rats in response to the omega-3 effects, ionizing radiation, or both.