Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026

Modeling Brain Metastasis by Internal Carotid Artery Injection of Cancer Cells
Published on: August 2, 2022
Systemic chemotherapy decreases brain glucose metabolism
Laura L Horky1, Victor H Gerbaudo1, Alexander Zaitsev1
1Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School 75 Francis Street, Boston, Massachusetts, 02115.
Chemotherapy significantly alters brain glucose metabolism in both gray and white matter, impacting regions crucial for cognitive function and brain plasticity in cancer patients.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Radiology
Background:
- Chemotherapy can cause neurological adverse effects, including neurocognitive changes.
- The mechanisms behind chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the temporal and regional effects of platinum-based chemotherapy on brain glucose metabolism in cancer patients.
- To elucidate the impact of chemotherapy on brain function in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.
Main Methods:
- Utilized sequential 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-PET/CT imaging before and after chemotherapy.
- Analyzed brain glucose metabolism across 24 regions in 10 patients with newly diagnosed non-small-cell lung cancer.
Main Results:
- Observed significant alterations in glucose metabolism in all gray matter structures (cortex, deep nuclei, hippocampus, cerebellum).
- Detected notable metabolic changes in frontotemporal white matter networks, including the corpus callosum and various white matter tracts.
Conclusions:
- Chemotherapy leads to decreased glucose metabolism in both gray and white matter brain structures.
- Affected brain regions are vital for maintaining brain plasticity and overall neurological function.
- Findings offer insights into the spatial and temporal effects of chemotherapy on brain metabolism.
More Related Videos
08:32Studying the Hypothalamic Insulin Signal to Peripheral Glucose Intolerance with a Continuous Drug Infusion System into the Mouse Brain
Published on: January 4, 2018
06:21Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: April 7, 2023
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists
Phenothiazines, such as prochlorperazine...
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists