Figure 3.

FLASH-RT minimizes radiation-induced novel object memory impairments as well as anxiety-like behaviors. Mice were tested for cognitive function using novel object recognition (NOR; A), light-dark box test (LDB; B) and social interaction test (SIT; C) at 4 months post-RT. (A) NOR: Animals exposed to FLASH irradiation (8 Gy) have statistically indistinguishable high discrimination index (DI) scores relative to controls, indicating a preference for the novel object. (B) Left: mice exposed to FLASH irradiation showed significantly more transitions between the light and dark regions of the LDB compared with CONV-irradiated mice. Right: no group differences were observed in percentage of time spent in the light compartment. (C) Left: SIT testing reveals a significant reduction in time spent interacting in the CONV-irradiated animals compared to control and FLASH groups. Right: Furthermore, SIT testing showed a significant increase in avoidance behavior compared with controls and FLASH-irradiated mice. Mean ± SEM (n = 14–16 per group); p-values were compared against CONV and derived from one-way ANOVA followed by t-test with Bonferroni’s correction for multiple comparison. * p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.