Une consultation multidisciplinaire pour les enfants traités pour une tumeur cérébrale

Neuropsychological consequences of childhood medulloblastoma and possible interventions: A review

BACKGROUND

Children who have been treated for a medulloblastoma often suffer long-term cognitive impairments that often negatively affect their academic performance and quality of life. In this article, we will review the neuropsychological consequences of childhood medulloblastoma and discuss the risk factors known to influence the presence and severity of these cognitive impairments and possible interventions to improve their quality of life.

METHODS

This narrative review was based on electronic searches of PubMed to identify all relevant studies.

RESULTS

Although many types of cognitive impairments often emerge during a child's subsequent development, the core cognitive domains that are most often affected in children treated for a medulloblastoma are processing speed, attention and working memory. The emergence and magnitude of these deficits varies greatly among patients. They are influenced by demographic (age at diagnosis, parental education), medical and treatment-related factors (perioperative complications, including posterior fossa syndrome, radiation therapy dose, etc.), and the quality of interventions such as school adaptations provided to the child or rehabilitation programs that focus on cognitive skills, behavior and psychosocial functioning.

CONCLUSION

These patients require specialized and coordinated multidisciplinary rehabilitation follow-up that provides timely and adapted assessments and culminates in personalized intervention goals being set with the patient and the family. Follow-up should be continued until referral to adult services.

Multidisciplinary rehabilitation for children with brain tumors: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

There is an increasing need to assess the evidence of a multidisciplinary approach for both short-term and long-term management of neurological sequelae arising from the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumors in childhood.

METHODS

We performed a systematic review of the evidence base for multidisciplinary paediatric brain tumor rehabilitation using seven databases. PRISMA guidelines were adhered to and the review was registered with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (registration number CRD42014015070).

RESULTS

The literature search identified 3,061 results. Three service evaluations were included. The review identified limited evidence in favor of multidisciplinary rehabilitation for children with brain tumors. Due to the lack of controlled trial data and heterogeneity of the interventions and outcome measures, no meta-analysis could be performed.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies utilising a coordinated multi-centre approach with standardized outcome measures are recommended in order to enable robust assessment of the efficacy of multidisciplinary rehabilitation services.

[Educational and social outcome after childhood cancer]

The survival rate improvement of childhood cancer survivors lead to question about their educational and social outcome. Authors suggest an international review in order to find risk factors of school or social failure after cancer experience. Principal cohort is studied in USA (the Children Cancer Survivor Study). Nevertheless, European studies are also published. The results vary, depending on subpopulation studied and on control choice (siblings or general population). Treatment improvement and supportive care make difficult to compare studies with current situations. Moreover, there are not international standard of education or social outcome. School and social behaviour are influenced by: types of tumor (cerebral tumor but also sometimes hemopathy and osteosarcoma), age at diagnosis (very young children and adolescent), treatments (neurotoxical treatments, hematopoietic stem cell transplant), and social or educational status of the parents.

[Neurocognitive outcome in childhood brain tumor survivors]

Advances in treatment have significantly improved the survival rate of children with brain tumour. This review describes risk factors of late neurocognitive effect, the different type of neurocognitive side effect according to the type of tumour and the rehabilitation. The best knowledge of cognitive sequelae allowed to propose supported appropriate and specific disorders including school facilities for younger and adaptation of professional situation for adults. Furthermore, this understanding allows to link with the patient's quality of life and to approach the person in its specificity and overall.

A comprehensive model of care for rehabilitation of children with acquired brain injuries

BACKGROUND

Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a leading cause of death and lifelong acquired disability in children and remains a significant public health issue. Deficits may only become fully apparent when developmental demands increase and once cognitive processes are expected to be fully developed. It is therefore necessary to provide organized long-term follow-up for children post ABI. Despite these recommendations, it has been shown that only a small proportion of children received specialized rehabilitation and adequate follow-up after ABI.

AIMS

The aims are: (i) to describe a comprehensive model of care devoted to children with acquired brain injuries; and (ii) to provide descriptive data analysing the characteristics of children followed up, the type/amount of services provided and general outcomes.

PROGRAMME DESCRIPTION

The programme features an in- and outpatient rehabilitation facility, where multidisciplinary rehabilitation and specialized schooling are provided. The ultimate goal of the programme is to promote each child's successful reintegration in school and in the community. Adequate preparation of discharge is essential, long-term follow-up is organized, and an outreach programme has been developed to deal with the complex delayed psychosocial issues.

RESULTS

Overall outcome, as measured by the Glasgow Outcome Scale, improved dramatically between admission (3.3; SD = 0.45) and discharge (2.15; SD = 0.74). Most of the children were discharged home with an adequate personalized plan for ongoing rehabilitation and school adaptations. Analysis of the outreach programme underlines the more challenging issues arising in late adolescence-early adulthood.

CONCLUSION

Given the specificities of childhood ABI, long-term specific care must be organized and co-ordinated, regardless of injury severity.