Central nervous system syndrome

Central nervous system syndrome, called neurovascular syndrome in the clinical literature, is the most severe of the three classic sub-syndromes of acute radiation syndrome, occurring at a higher absorbed dose than either the hematopoietic or gastrointestinal syndromes. It typically occurs at absorbed radiation doses greater than 30 grays (3,000 rad), though it may occur at doses as low as 10 grays (1,000 rad). It presents with neurological symptoms such as dizziness, headache, or a decreased level of consciousness, occurring within minutes to a few hours of exposure, notably without the vomiting seen at lower doses, and is almost always fatal even with aggressive intensive care.