Psychophysiological evaluation of short-term neurotoxicity after prophylactic brain irradiation in patients with small cell lung cancer : a study of event related potentials

• Published in: Journal of neuro-oncology Vol. 50; no. 3; pp. 275 - 285
• Main Authors: PARAGEORGIOU, Charalampos, DARDOUFAS, Costas, KOULOULIAS, Vassilios, VENTOURAS, Erricos, UZUNOGLU, Nikolaos, VLAHOS, Lambros, RAMBAVILAS, Andreas, CHRISTODOULOU, Georgios
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer 01.12.2000; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Brain - radiation effects; Brain Neoplasms - prevention & control; Brain Neoplasms - secondary; Carcinoma, Small Cell - radiotherapy; Carcinoma, Small Cell - secondary; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - etiology; Cranial Irradiation - adverse effects; Humans; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Lung Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neuropsychological Tests; Pneumology; Radiation Injuries - diagnosis; Radiation Injuries - etiology; Radiotherapy Dosage; Survival Analysis; Tumors of the respiratory system and mediastinum; Short term; Human; Lung disease; Respiratory disease; Toxicity; Central nervous system; Malignant tumor; Radiotherapy; Bronchopulmonary; Prevention; Electrodiagnosis; Evoked potential; Bronchus disease; Small cell carcinoma; Event evoked potential; Brain (vertebrata)
• ISSN: 0167-594X; 1573-7373
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1006447624574

The aim of this study was to show, whether a certain prophylacting applicable radiation affects the cognition, particularly, the specific cognitive components P50, N100, P300 and N400 of auditory event related potentials (ERPs) during a short memory test. Eleven patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), who had presented complete response of disease after chemotherapy and radical radiotherapy in the lung, were prescribed to receive a prophylacting cranial irradiation (PCI) with a 6 MeV linear accelerator. The dose schedule was consisting of a total dose up to 30 Gy in 10 fractions, within 12 days (5 days a week). The psychophysiological approach before and after PCI was assessed by measurements of the auditory ERPs during a short memory performance using the digit-span Wechsler test. Components of ERP were recorded from 15 scalp electrodes. Additionally, symptomatology of depression and anxiety were assessed using Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale and Spielberger Anxiety Inventory, respectively, for pre- and post-PCI. No significant difference was noticed pre- and post-radiotherapy of all particular level of psychophysiological analysis concerning both the latencies and the amplitudes of ERPs auditory components P50, N100, P300 and N400 (P > 0.05, Wilcoxon signed test). Additionally, no changes were found with regard to behavioral performance (memory recall), depression symptomatology and state anxiety, according to pre- and post-radiation measurements. However, the self-reported depression symptomatology showed that the patients presented moderate depression. No short-term psychophysiological neurotoxicity was detected with this PCI schedule using these instruments, lending additional support to evidence suggesting the benefit of this certain PCI schedule for patients with SCLC.