The exposure to heavy charged particles represents a significant risk to the central nervous system. In experiments with rodents, the irradiation with heavy ions induces a prolonged deficit in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. The exact nature of these violations remains mostly unclear. In this regard, the estimation of radiation effects at the level of single neurons is of our special interest. The present study demonstrates the results of comparative calculations that are performed to clarify the early physical events in single neurons under the exposure to accelerated 12C and 56Fe ions with different parameters. Using the Geant4-based Monte Carlo simulations, the radiation effects are considered in terms of energy and dose deposition. The spatial patterns of energy and dose depositions within a single neural cell are produced. As additional characteristics, the spectra of the specific energy and energy imparted are estimated. Our results show that the cell morphology is an important factor determining the accumulation of radiation dose in neurons under the exposure to heavy ions. The data obtained suggest a possibility of radiation damage to synapses that are considered to play an important role in radiation-induced violations of hippocampus-dependent learning and memory

To help in understanding the physical and biological mechanisms underlying effects of cosmic and therapeutic types of radiation on the central nervous system (CNS), we have developed an original neuron application based on the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit, in particular on its biophysical extension Geant4-DNA. The applied simulation technique provides a tool for the simulation of physical, physico-chemical and chemical processes (e.g. production of water radiolysis species in the vicinity of neurons) in realistic geometrical model of neural cells exposed to ionizing radiation. The present study evaluates the microscopic energy depositions and water radiolysis species yields within a detailed structure of a selected neuron taking into account its soma, dendrites, axon and spines following irradiation with carbon and iron ions.

The present study is focused on the development of optimal models of neuron morphology for Monte Carlo microdosimetry simulations of initial radiation-induced events of heavy charged particles in the specific types of cells of the hippocampus, which is the most radiation-sensitive structure of the central nervous system. The neuron geometry and particles track structures were simulated by the Geant4/Geant4-DNA Monte Carlo toolkits. The calculations were made for beams of protons and heavy ions with different energies and doses corresponding to real fluxes of galactic cosmic rays. A simple compartmental model and a complex model with realistic morphology extracted from experimental data were constructed and compared. We estimated the distribution of the energy deposition events and the production of reactive chemical species within the developed models of CA3/CA1 pyramidal neurons and DG granule cells of the rat hippocampus under exposure to different particles with the same dose. Similar distributions of the energy deposition events and concentration of some oxidative radical species were obtained in both the simplified and realistic neuron models.