PREFACE 



This is a meeting of two groups of minds, the basic neurologists and 

 the basic radiobiologists. It is the first meeting of its kind and, if successful, 

 we hope there will be subsequent meetings. It should not be necessary to 

 point out that this select group has a double responsibility, that of pointing 

 up not only what we know, but, equally important, what we don't know 

 about radiation effects on the nervous system. This is a long neglected field, 

 and we are all students with much to learn. On some of the points there is 

 enough information for general agreement; on other points, general agree- 

 ment is impossible. Perhaps the frustrated feelings will be so annoying that 

 you will go back to your laboratories, design better experiments, and come 

 to the next svTnposium with even better scientific papers. 



The orientation of this meeting is the result of months of planning. 

 There are five major topics of discussion. Each topic is being handled by 

 a chairman, who is a specialist in the field, and is being introduced by a 

 general survey speaker, who will cover much of the literature. The scientific 

 papers are followed by discussion of the subject, which then is summarized 

 by the individual chairman. The physical aspects of radiation and clinical 

 studies will be discussed in a subsequent meeting. 



Our present task is a noble one, i.e., a mental cross-pollination of 

 neurologists and radiobiologists interested in basic mechanisms. So without 

 further comment, I w-elcome all of you and now ask you to capture your 

 protons, your electrons, dendrons, axons, and neurons and orbit into new 

 frontiers of learning. 



Ray S. Snider 

 Symposium Chairman 



