No clinically relevant effect on cognitive outcomes after low-dose radiation to the infant brain: A population-based cohort study in Sweden

Authors

  • Malin Blomstrand Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Erik Holmberg Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Maria A. I. Åberg Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Marie Lundell Karolinska Institute, Department of Medical Physics, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Thomas Björk-Eriksson Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Per Karlsson Department of Oncology, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Klas Blomgren Center for Brain Repair and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Sweden; Karolinska Institute, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Stockholm, Sweden

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3109/0284186X.2014.899434

Abstract

While the detrimental effects of cranial radiotherapy on the developing brain are well known, the effects on cognitive performance of low doses of ionizing radiation is less studied. We performed a population-based cohort study to determine whether low doses of ionizing radiation to the brain in infancy affects cognitive function later in life. Further we hypothesized that the dose to the hippocampus predicts cognitive late side effects better than the anterior or the posterior brain doses.

Material and methods. During 1950–1960 3860 boys were treated with radiation in Sweden for cutaneous hemangiomas before the age of 18 months. Of these, 3030 were analyzed for military test scores at the age of 18 years and 2559 for the highest obtained educational level.

Results. Logical, spatial and technical test scores were not affected by increasing irradiation doses. The verbal test scores displayed a significant trend for decreasing scores with increasing doses to the hippocampus (p = 0.005). However, the absolute mean difference between the zero dose and the highest dose category (median 680 mGy) was very small, only 0.64 stanine points, and the significance was dependent on the highest dose category, containing few subjects. The educational level was not affected by brain irradiation. Overall, the hippocampal dose was a better predictor of late cognitive side effects than the doses to the anterior or the posterior brain. In conclusion, there was no decrease in logical, spatial and technical verbal or global test scores after ionizing radiation doses up to 250 mGy, but a subtle decrease in verbal test scores if the highest dose category was included (median 680 mGy). However, the clinical relevance of this decline in the highest dose group is questionable, since we could not find any effect on the highest obtained educational level.

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Published

2014-09-01

How to Cite

Blomstrand, M., Holmberg, E., Åberg, M. A. I., Lundell, M., Björk-Eriksson, T., Karlsson, P., & Blomgren, K. (2014). No clinically relevant effect on cognitive outcomes after low-dose radiation to the infant brain: A population-based cohort study in Sweden. Acta Oncologica, 53(9), 1143–1150. https://doi.org/10.3109/0284186X.2014.899434