Diagnosis and Treatment of Cognitive Deficit Caused by Radiation in Patients with Brain Tumors

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24650168
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neuroscience in general
• Research Institution: University of the Ryukyus
• Principal Investigator: ISHIUCHI SHOGO 琉球大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 教授 (10312878)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): TOMINAGA Daisuke 琉球大学, その他部局等, その他 (00112160)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 放射線障害 / 認知機能 / 海馬 / 神経新生 / 高次脳機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Radiotherapy is an important treatment option for central nervous system malignancies, however, cranial radiation induces hippocampal dysfunction and white matter injury, which concomitantly induced higher cognitive dysfunction,resulted in reduced quality of life (QOL) in the patients of brain disorders. We found that impaired hippocampal network of pattern separation ability detected by functional magnetic resonance imaging, and white matter damage by diffusion tensor imaging was main cause of higher cognitive dysfunction in patients with radiotherapy as well as animal models. Establishment of the therapy to facilitate the restration of hippocampal function , white matter integrity may bring improvement of executive function in the patients receiving cranial radiation.

Free Research Field

脳神経外科