UTILIZATION OF NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL PROTOCOLS TO CHARACTERIZE SOLDIER RESPONSE TO IRRITANT GASES

THERE IS NO WIDELY ACCEPTED PROTOCOL FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE TOXIC EFFECTS OF IRRITANT GASES ON HUMANS. MOST PROCEDURES EMPLOYED FOR THIS PURPOSE UTILIZE ENDPOINTS THAT ASSESS TIME-TO-INCAPACITATION AND LETHALITY. WE WILL WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THIS PROPOSAL UTILIZE A NEUROPHYSIOLOGICAL MONITORING PROTOCOL TOGETHER WITH A BIOASSAY AND BEHAVIORAL PROCEDURE WITH WHICH WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO MONITOR THE DECREMENT OF PERFORMANCE IN LONG EVANS RATS EXPOSED TO CARBON MONOXIDE AND HYDROGEN CHLORIDE, INDIVIDUALLY AND IN MIXED CONCENTRATIONS. WE WILL IN THE PROPOSED PHASE I PROGRAM MODIFY OUR ANIMAL EXPOSURE CHAMBER, WHICH WILL BE UTILIZED WITH A VARIETY OF COMPUTERIZED ANALYTICAL SYSTEMS TO MONITOR THE CHAMBER'S ATMOSPHERE AND DEVELOP CRITERIA BASED ON ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF THE FIRST OBSERVABLE DECREMENT OF PERFORMANCE UPON EXPOSURE TO HYDROGEN CHLORIDE. THE RESULTS OBTAINED WILL BE UTILIZED WITHIN THE PHASE II PROGRAM TO DEVELOP A RAPID INEXPENSIVE PROTOCOL FOR THE FIRST-TIER ASSESSMENT OF THE DECREMENT OF PERFORMANCE TO HUMAN EXPOSED TO WEAPONS SYSTEMS EMISSIONS. WE PLAN TO EMPLOY MINIATURE PIGS AND SMALL PRIMATE DURING THE PHASE II PROGRAM TO PERMIT AN EXTRAPOLATION OF LABORATORY RESULTS TO HUMAN RESPONSE.