Modeling the influence of heavy ion beams on neurogenesis and functioning of hippocampal neural networks

Radiation-induced impairment of hippocampal neurogenesis is one of serious factors associated with cognitive detriments after radiation therapy of brain cancers and realization of long-term manned space flights. The goal of this study is to develop a mathematical model describing radiation-induced changes in cellular populations participating in neurogenesis and how these alterations worsen the processing of information by hippocampus. Modeling results have demonstrated that heavy ions may cause non-reversible suppression of neurogenesis, which is followed by failure of pattern encoding and retrieval by hippocampal neural networks.