Neurodevelopmental effects of low dose ionizing radiation exposure: A systematic review of the epidemiological evidence

Abstract

Background: The neurodevelopmental effects of high doses of ionizing radiation (IR) in children are well established. To what extent such effects exist at low-to-moderate doses is unclear. Considering the increasing exposure of the general population to low-to-moderate levels of IR, predominantly from diagnostic procedures, the study of these effects has become a priority for radiation protection.

Objectives: We conducted a systematic review of the current evidence for possible effects of low-to-moderate IR doses received during gestation, childhood and adolescence on different domains of neurodevelopment.

Data sources: Searches were performed in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE and Psychinfo on the 6th of June 2017 and repeated in December 2018.

Study eligibility criteria: We included studies evaluating the association between low-to-moderate IR doses received during gestation, childhood and adolescence, and neurodevelopmental functions.

Study appraisal and synthesis methods: Studies were evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration's risk of bias tool adapted to environmental sciences. A qualitative synthesis was performed.

Results: A total of 26 manuscripts were finally selected. Populations analyzed in these publications were exposed to the following sources of IR: atomic bomb (Hiroshima and Nagasaki), diagnostic/therapeutic radiation, and Chernobyl and nuclear weapon testing fallout. There was limited evidence for an association between low-to-moderate doses of IR and a decrease in general cognition and language abilities, that is, a causal interpretation is credible, but chance or confounding cannot not be ruled out with reasonable confidence. Evidence for a possible stronger effect when exposure occurred early in life, in particular, during the fetal period, was inadequate. Evidence for an association between IR and other specific domains, including attention, executive function, memory, processing speed, visual-spatial abilities, motor and socio-emotional development, was inadequate, due to the very limited number of studies found.

Limitations, conclusions, and implications of key findings: Overall, depending on the domain, there was limited to inadequate evidence for an effect of low-to-moderate IR doses on neurodevelopment. Heterogeneity across studies in terms of outcome and exposure assessment hampered any quantitative synthesis and any stronger conclusion. Future research with adequate dosimetry and covering a range of specific neurodevelopmental outcomes would likely contribute to improve the body of evidence.

Systematic review registration number: The systematic review protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42018091902).

Keywords: Child health; Epidemiology; Ionizing radiation; Low dose; Neurodevelopment.