Hippocampal subfield volumes and relations to associative memory in children and adolescent survivors of pediatric brain tumors
Year: 2016
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) treated with cranial radiation therapy (CRT) experience debilitating cognitive deficits, including impaired learning and memory. These impairments may be linked to volume abnormalities in the hippocampus. Animal studies suggest that radiation induces memory impairments in part, by disrupting neurogenesis in the hippocampal dentate gyrus. However, the effects of CRT on hippocampal subfields and relations to impaired memory in humans remain unknown. We used MRI and segmented hippocampal subfields (CA1, CA2/3, dentate gyrus/CA4, stratum radiatum, lacunosum, moleculare (SR/SL/SM) and subiculum) in PBTS and typically developing children using an automated segmentation tool. Hippocampal subfield volumes in PBTS were assessed in relation to memory performance. We observed that PBTS displayed smaller dentate gyrus/CA4, CA1, and SR/SL/SM volumes compared to typically developing children. Moreover, smaller dentate gyrus/CA4 and SR/SL/SM volumes correlated with lower memory performance. These findings suggest that damage to hippocampal subfields may in part underlie memory deficits in PBTS.
Source: TSpace (University of Toronto)
Author: Alexandra Decker
Language: English
Subfield: Oncology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2610215665