Somnolence syndrome in leukemic children following reduced daily dose fractions of cranial radiation

A group of children with acute lymphocytic leukemia was studied to investigate if a reduction in daily dose fraction of cranial radiation would reduce the incidence of somnolence syndrome. Thirty-one evaluable patients received 100 rad x 18 cranial radiation therapy. Sixty-six similar evaluable patients were given 180 rad x 10. Both groups received the same chemotherapy including intrathecal methotrexate. Clinically detectable somnolence appeared in 58% of each group without significant differences in the overall frequency or severity of somnolence. This study failed to substantiate a radiation dose fraction size dependence for somnolence syndrome in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia