[Evaluation of cognitive impairments in people affected by accidental radiation exposure]

Objective of the research is to evaluate cognitive impairments in persons affected by accidental radiation exposure.

The study involved residents of the settlements located in the Techa River basin that are included into the database «Man» of the URCRM. The main group «case» consisted of 38 people with the dose to soft tissues ≥0.07 Gy. 38 people with the dose to soft tissues not exceeding the background level were selected using the matched pair case-control method («control»). The following methods were used: clinical method, method of evaluation of cognitive evoked potentials, clinical and psychological method, statistical methods.

In the group «case» the number of examined people with mild cognitive impairment (F06.7) to increase. There are statistically significantly more people with cognitive impairments (p=0.039; OR=2.9; 95% CI: 1.2-7.5), dissomnic disorder (p=0.022; OR=2.6; 95% CI: 1.04-6.6), complaints of difficulty remembering current events (p=0.034; OR=2.8; 95% CI: 1.1-7.5). In this group statistically significant differences between the groups in terms of individual values of P300 latency (p=0.009) are observed. The number of people with P300 latency increased by ≥3 Σ is also statistically significantly higher (p=0.025; OR=6.4; 95% CI: 1.3-31.7) in this group.

In the group «case»: cognitive impairments are more pronounced. It is manifested in the increase in the number of examined people with organic cognitive impairment, cognitive decline, complaints of deterioration of cognitive functions, prolongation of P300 latency.