Resting state and task related fMRI in small cell lung cancer patients

Prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) is a standard treatment technique for small cell lung cancer patients. However, there is evidence that this technique may contribute to neurocognitive deficits. Therefore the study of anatomical and functional connectivity in patients undergoing PCI as well as their neurocognitive functionality, depending on the type of disease and the phase of treatment and time of clinical examination, is of considerable interest. In this context, we investigate whether there are any differentiations in brain function during resting state and task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in patients with cancer before PCI compared to healthy subjects. During a finger tapping task, the brain regions that were activated bilaterally for both groups are consistent with previous studies. During rest, the Default Mode Network (DMN) was identified in both groups. The preliminary results presented herein are subject to further investigation with larger patient and control group.