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RATIONALE FOR HIPPOCAMPAL AVOIDANCE IN
ASSOCIATION WITH WBRT
• Hippocampus has a central role in learning and memory functions,
especially in the episodic memory (process of forming new
memories of events or facts).
• Neuronal stem cells in the subgranular zone of the hippocampus
are responsible for maintaining neurogenesis, which is critical for
preserving memory functions.
• Irradiation of the hippocampus in patients receiving radiation
therapy for nasopharingeal, maxillary, pituitary and skull base
tumors is associated with impairment in the learning and memory
domain.
Gondi et al, JCO 2010; Gibson and Monje, Curr Opin Oncol 2012