Safety and Feasibility of Hippocampal Sparing Cranial Radiation in Pediatric and Adolescent Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Patients: A Prospective Study.

Introduction Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) constitutes a significant portion of pediatric malignancies, with central nervous system (CNS) relapse posing a considerable threat to patient outcomes. While cranial radiation therapy (CRT) has been utilized to mitigate CNS relapse, it is associated with neurocognitive (NC) side effects. This study explores the feasibility and safety of using volumetric arc therapy (VMAT) with hippocampal sparing (HS) during cranial radiation therapy for ALL patients, aiming to reduce these side effects. Methodology This prospective observational study included pediatric and young adult patients with ALL who were in remission. HS was achieved using VMAT, and NC assessments were performed at baseline, six months, one year, and, to a limited extent, four years posttreatment. Results VMAT enabled precise hippocampal-sparing CRT with minimal dose to the hippocampus. Dosimetric analysis revealed that patients receiving 18 Gy had mean doses to planning target volume (PTV) and bilateral hippocampus of 18.9 and 9 Gy, respectively. Those receiving 12 Gy had corresponding doses of 13.3 and 7 Gy, respectively. Conformity and homogeneity indices were 0.9 and 0.1, and no brain relapses were observed among the patients in this study. NC assessments demonstrated no decline in intelligence quotient (IQ) scores over time, while only a subset of patients could be assessed at the four-year mark; telephone interviews suggested no significant cognitive decline. Conclusions This study highlights the potential of VMAT with HS as a promising approach to CRT for ALL patients in reducing the risk of NC side effects. The absence of brain relapses and preservation of NC function are encouraging findings, though larger studies are necessary to establish conclusive evidence.

Cognitive performance and psychosocial functioning in unaffected siblings of bipolar disorder patients in comparison with healthy controls.

We aimed to evaluate the cognitive domains for endophenotypes and their bearing on psychosocial functioning in unaffected siblings of patients with bipolar type I disorder (BD-I). We recruited unaffected siblings (n = 60) and age (±2 years), gender and education-matched healthy control subjects (n = 60) after screening with Structured clinical interview for DSM-IV-TR axis I disorders (SCID-I) - Research Version, Young Mania rating scale (YMRS), Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS) and Family Interview for Genetic Studies scale (FIGS). Cognitive functioning was evaluated using Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III Revised (ACE-III R) and Trail making tests A and B, whereas psychosocial functioning was evaluated using the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). The siblings had scored significantly lower in memory tasks of ACE-III R (p < 0.001) than controls, whereas other cognitive domains were comparable. Psychosocial functioning did not differ significantly between the groups. No correlation existed between cognitive performance and psychosocial functioning. Memory functions can be considered as a possible endophenotype for BD-I.