Molecular Pathways : Radiation-induced cognitive impairment.
Authors: Greene-Schloesser D, Moore E, Robbins ME
Abstract
Approximately 200,000/year in the US will receive partial or whole brain irradiation for the treatment of primary or metastatic brain cancer. Early and delayed radiation effects are transient and reversible with modern therapeutic standards; yet late radiation effects (≥6 months postirradiation) remain a significant risk, resulting in progressive cognitive impairment. These include functional deficits in memory, attention, and executive function that severely affect the patient's quality of life (QOL). The mechanisms underlying radiation-induced cognitive impairment remain ill defined. Classically, radiation-induced alterations in vascular and glial cell clonogenic populations were hypothesized to be responsible for radi...
