Hocking MC, Schultz RT, Yerys BE, Minturn JE, Fantozzi P, Herrington JD. White matter connectivity and social functioning in survivors of pediatric brain tumor.
J Neurooncol 2024;
169:247-256. [PMID:
38837018 PMCID:
PMC11341593 DOI:
10.1007/s11060-024-04724-0]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
Survivors of pediatric brain tumors (SPBT) are at risk for social deficits, fewer friendships, and poor peer relations. SPBT also experience reduced brain connectivity via microstructural disruptions to white matter from neurological insults. Research with other populations implicates white matter connectivity as a key contributor to poor social functioning. This case-controlled diffusion-weighted imaging study evaluated structural connectivity in SPBT and typically developing controls (TDC) and associations between metrics of connectivity and social functioning.
METHODS
Diffusion weighted-imaging results from 19 SPBT and 19 TDC were analyzed using probabilistic white matter tractography. Survivors were at least 5 years post-diagnosis and 2 years off treatment. Graph theory statistics measured group differences across several connectivity metrics, including average strength, global efficiency, assortativity, clustering coefficient, modularity, and betweenness centrality. Analyses also evaluated the effects of neurological risk on connectivity among SPBT. Correlational analyses evaluated associations between connectivity and indices of social behavior.
RESULTS
SPBT demonstrated reduced global connectivity compared to TDC. Several medical factors (e.g., chemotherapy, recurrence, multimodal therapy) were related to decreased connectivity across metrics of integration (e.g., average strength, global efficiency) in SPBT. Connectivity metrics were related to peer relationship quality and social challenges in the SPBT group and to social challenges in the total sample.
CONCLUSIONS
Microstructural white matter connectivity is diminished in SPBT and related to neurological risk and peer relationship quality. Additional neuroimaging research is needed to evaluate associations between brain connectivity metrics and social functioning in SPBT.
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