en Radiation Biology Radiation Biology مقاله مروری Review article <div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:10pt"><span style="text-justify:newspaper"><span style="text-kashida-space:50%"><span style="line-height:119%"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="color:black"><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="color:#1f497d"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="language:en-US">Background:</span></span></span></span></span></span> <span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="language:en-US">To estimate the proportion of patients experiencing cognitive decline after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer using study-level data from eligible cohorts. </span></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="color:#1f497d"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="language:en-US">Materials and Methods: </span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="language:en-US">A systematic review and meta-analysis identified studies assessing cognition both before and after radiotherapy. Two prospective cohorts met all inclusion criteria, each applying its own predefined definition of cognitive decline. Events and total participants were pooled using simple aggregation, and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using the Wilson method. No scale harmonization or continuity corrections were applied. </span></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="color:#1f497d"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="language:en-US">Results: </span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="language:en-US">A total of 84 patients were included, of whom 39 (46.4%) met study-defined criteria for cognitive decline following radiotherapy (95% CI: 36.2%&ndash;57.0%). Heterogeneity between studies was attributable to differences in cognitive assessment tools and timing of follow-up. </span></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="color:#1f497d"><span style="font-style:italic"><span style="font-weight:bold"><span style="language:en-US">Conclusions: </span></span></span></span></span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size:9.0pt"><span style="font-family:Calibri"><span style="language:en-US">Based on available evidence from two prospective cohorts with baseline and post-treatment cognitive testing, approximately one in two patients demonstrated measurable cognitive decline after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. This estimate reflects the current meta-analytic signal derived from limited but methodologically comparable data and can be refined as additional standardized cohorts become available.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div> Head and neck neoplasms, radiotherapy, cognitive dysfunction, frailty, oral health, deglutition disorders. 831 838 http://ijrr.com/browse.php?a_code=A-10-1-1583&slc_lang=en&sid=1 A. Luo luo9388L@hotmail.com 7900319475328460034451 7900319475328460034451 Yes Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang 330052, Jiangxi Province, China Z. Huang 7900319475328460034452 7900319475328460034452 No Department of Blood Transfusion, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China C. Mao 7900319475328460034453 7900319475328460034453 No Biomedical Engineering, South Central MinZu University, Wuhan 430074, Hubei Province, China S. Jiang 7900319475328460034454 7900319475328460034454 No Department of Blood Transfusion, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China