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Updated: Apr 14, 2026
Quantifying Cognitive Decrements Caused by Cranial Radiotherapy
Published on: October 18, 2011
Cognitive change and neuroimaging following immunoablative therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in
L A S Walker1, J A Berard2, H L Atkins3
1Neuropsychology Service, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Canada; The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada; University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine, Ottawa, Canada; University of Ottawa, School of Psychology, Ottawa, Canada.
Background:
Individuals with MS undergoing immunoablative therapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) show substantial decrease in brain volume over 2.4 months, presumably from chemotoxic effects, although other mechanisms have also been postulated.
Objective:
We examined whether volume loss was accompanied by a concomitant decrease in cognition. White and gray matter volumes, and the effect of stem cell dosage were considered.
Methods:
Seven individuals with rapidly progressing MS and poor prognosis underwent high dose immunosuppression and autologous HSCT. Neuropsychological testing and MRI scans were performed at baseline, 2 and 24 months post-procedure.
Results:
Cognitive impairment was noted at all times in most participants. Median decline of 1.39% in total brain volume was noted 2 months post-HSCT. By 24 months a further decline of 1.65% was noted. At 2 months significant decline was observed for areas of executive functioning. At 24 months almost no significant declines were noted. No significant correlations were found between cognitive decline and change in imaging variables or stem cell dosage.
Conclusions:
Cognition changed in the early period following treatment but with little apparent relationship to volume changes. With temporal distance from the HSCT procedure, cognition returned to baseline levels. With the caution of a very small sample, preliminary results suggest that immunoablation and HSCT may have no lasting deleterious effects on cognition.
