Effects of Pre-Natal X-Irradiation on the Visual Evoked Potential in Adult Rabbits

The visual evoked potential of adult rabbits, who had been irradiated with 75 R of X-rays on the 11th day of gestation, was studied. The effect of Nembutal on the evoked potentials was also investigated. Three types of evoked potentials, which were elicited in the visual cortex and in the lateral geniculate body by photic stimulation and in the visual cortex by electrical stimulation to the lateral geniculate body, were recorded before and 2, 3, 4 and 5 hours after injection of Nembutal. No significant difference in the visual evoked potential was observed between the irradiated and the non-irradiated animals, but the effect of Nembutal on this potential was slightly smaller for the irradiated animals. These results suggest that the activity of the reticular formation in the irradiated animals may have been affected by the radiation.