A Prospective Study of the Impact of Hippocampal Avoidance During Whole Brain Radiotherapy on Neurocognitive Function Decline

April 27, 2023 updated by: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) has long been a practical and effective therapeutic modality for various settings of management in radiation oncology. For example, the indications for WBRT should include brain metastasis or metastases, the setting of prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) used mainly for patients with limited-stage small cell lung cancer, and even some patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer. The rationales for WBRT are essentially based on that it can target both microscopic and gross intracranial disease.

In addition to providing rapid alleviation of neurologic symptoms and enhanced intracranial disease control, WBRT might also prolong the time to develop neurocognitive function (NCF) decline. However, paradoxically NCF decline can also occur due to a sequel of WBRT. In terms of the time course of WBRT-induced NCF decline, it might vary considerably according to the specific domains which are selected to be measured. Early neurocognitive decline occurs within the first 1 - 4 months after WBRT for brain metastases. The domains of early neurocognitive decline principally involve verbal and short-term memory recall.

Since several decades ago, it has been understood that hippocampus plays an essential role in memory function. Not little evidence supports that radiation-induced damage to hippocampus should be strongly associated with NCF impairment. Furthermore, several studies have shown that isodose distribution in hippocampus is closely related to neurocognitive function in patients with benign or low-grade brain tumors. As a consequence, it is hypothesized that conformal hippocampal sparing during the course of WBRT (HS-WBRT) might provide significant preservation in terms of cognitive function.

This prospective cohort study aims to explore and evaluate the impact of the delivery of HS-WBRT on the pattern of NCF change and the extent of NCF decline in patients receiving prophylactic or therapeutic WBRT. As compared with previous related and relevant studies, it will also be investigated whether neurocognitive functional preservation can be achieved via the integration of hippocampal sparing with the course of WBRT.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Anticipated)

100

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Taiwan
      • Taoyuan, Taiwan, 333
        • Recruiting
        • Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 84 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with pathologically-confirmed non-hematopoietic malignancy who are referred for therapeutic or prophylactic WBRT
  • Good performance status no worse than Eastern Cooperative Group (ECOG) of 2 or a general status of Karnofsky Score (KPS) at least 70 %
  • The number and extent of brain metastatic lesions should be no more than three metastatic foci with a greatest diameter no more than 4 cm

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with MRI-identified metastasis within 5 mm perihippocampally
  • Clinical suspicion of leptomeningeal spreading
  • History of prior radiotherapy including stereotactic radiosurgery delivered to brain/head region for any reasons

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Hippocampal-sparing WBRT
All studied patients should undergo a computed tomography (CT) simulation scan encompassing the entire head region with 1.25-mm slice thickness using a thermoplastic mask for immobilization. To achieve conformal hippocampal sparing during the delivery of whole brain radiation (WBRT), the technique of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) via Linac-based RapidArc®.In terms of dose prescription, a dose of 30 Gy in 12 fractions was prescribed to whole-brain planning target volume (PTV) if the role of RT was considered either adjuvant following craniotomy with tumor removal or therapeutic for treating oligometastatic brain disease.
Radiation: hippocampal-sparing WBRT

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
The primary endpoint is delayed recall, as determined by the change/decline in verbal memory (WMS III- Word List score) from the baseline assessment to 4 months after the start of HS-WBRT.
Time Frame: 4 months after the start of HS-WBRT
Neurocognitive assessment: including memory, executive functions, and psychomotor speed. This neurocognitive outcome was delayed recall, as determined by the change/decline in either verbal memory [Wechsler Memory Scale - 3rd edition (WMS III) - Word List score] or non-verbal memory (WMS III- Visual Reproduction score) from the baseline assessment to 4 months after the start of the course of WBRT with hippocampus sparing (HS-WBRT). Additionally, the follow-up of neurocognitive assessment will also be administered at 12 months and up to 18 months after the start of HS-WBRT.
4 months after the start of HS-WBRT
The primary endpoint is delayed recall, as determined by the change/decline in non-verbal memory (WMS III- Visual Reproduction score) from the baseline assessment to 4 months after the start of HS-WBRT.
Time Frame: 4 months after the start of HS-WBRT
Neurocognitive assessment: including memory, executive functions, and psychomotor speed. This neurocognitive outcome was delayed recall, as determined by the change/decline in either verbal memory [Wechsler Memory Scale - 3rd edition (WMS III) - Word List score] or non-verbal memory (WMS III- Visual Reproduction score) from the baseline assessment to 4 months after the start of the course of WBRT with hippocampus sparing (HS-WBRT). Additionally, the follow-up of neurocognitive assessment will also be administered at 12 months and up to 18 months after the start of HS-WBRT.
4 months after the start of HS-WBRT

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Overall survival time, indicated by the time from the date of recruitment to the date of expiring
Time Frame: up to 18 months
up to 18 months
The time from the date of recruitment to that of intracranial progression/failure noted on brain MRI or CT
Time Frame: up to 18 months
up to 18 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Chang Gung Memorial Hospital

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

January 18, 2013

Primary Completion (Anticipated)

December 31, 2028

Study Completion (Anticipated)

December 31, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 16, 2015

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 20, 2015

First Posted (Estimate)

July 22, 2015

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 1, 2023

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 27, 2023

Last Verified

April 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 101-4151B

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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