The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) was awarded a $667,485 Project Grant from the National Cancer Institute (CFDA 93.393 Cancer Cause and Prevention Research) to conduct a 5-year longitudinal study on mechanisms of radiation-induced neurocognitive decline in patients with glioma. The study aims to: 1) characterize neurocognitive heterogeneity and identify cognitive phenotypes in glioma patients before and after radiation therapy (RT), 2) analyze MMI biomarkers of structural, microstructural, and vascular brain changes underlying RT-induced cognitive decline, and 3) identify tumor, treatment, and patient-related factors including demographic, cerebrovascular health, and social determinants that impact vulnerability to RT-induced brain injury and cognitive decline. The project will recruit a diverse cohort of 250 adult glioma patients to undergo clinical MRI, neurocognitive, mood, and quality of life assessments longitudinally from baseline pre-RT to 5 years post-RT. This work seeks to guide future interventions for cognitive-sparing RT and improve neurocognitive outcomes for glioma patients.
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