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Drabek-Maunder ER, Mankad K, Aquilina K, Dean JA, Nisbet A, Clark CA. Using diffusion MRI to understand white matter damage and the link between brain microstructure and cognitive deficits in paediatric medulloblastoma patients. Eur J Radiol 2024; 177:111562. [PMID: 38901074 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejrad.2024.111562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Survivors of medulloblastoma face a range of challenges after treatment, involving behavioural, cognitive, language and motor skills. Post-treatment outcomes are associated with structural changes within the brain resulting from both the tumour and the treatment. Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been used to investigate the microstructure of the brain. In this review, we aim to summarise the literature on diffusion MRI in patients treated for medulloblastoma and discuss future directions on how diffusion imaging can be used to improve patient quality. METHOD This review summarises the current literature on medulloblastoma in children, focusing on the impact of both the tumour and its treatment on brain microstructure. We review studies where diffusion MRI has been correlated with either treatment characteristics or cognitive outcomes. We discuss the role diffusion MRI has taken in understanding the relationship between microstructural damage and cognitive and behavioural deficits. RESULTS We identified 35 studies that analysed diffusion MRI changes in patients treated for medulloblastoma. The majority of these studies found significant group differences in measures of brain microstructure between patients and controls, and some of these studies showed associations between microstructure and neurocognitive outcomes, which could be influenced by patient characteristics (e.g. age), treatment, radiation dose and treatment type. CONCLUSIONS In future, studies would benefit from being able to separate microstructural white matter damage caused by the tumour, tumour-related complications and treatment. Additionally, advanced diffusion modelling methods can be explored to understand and describe microstructural changes to white matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Drabek-Maunder
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; UCL Dept of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Malet Place, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK; Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond St, London WC1N 3JH, UK.
| | - Kshitij Mankad
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond St, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Kristian Aquilina
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond St, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Jamie A Dean
- UCL Dept of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Malet Place, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Andrew Nisbet
- UCL Dept of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Malet Place, Gower St, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Chris A Clark
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guildford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK; Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, Great Ormond St, London WC1N 3JH, UK
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Glazer S, Kim YJ, Fecher M, Billetdeaux KA, Gilliland EB, Wilde EA, Olshefski R, Yeates KO, Vannatta K, Hoskinson KR. Higher order neurocognition in pediatric brain tumor survivors: What can we learn from white matter microstructure? Pediatr Blood Cancer 2024; 71:e30787. [PMID: 38014868 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) experience neurocognitive late effects, including problems with working memory, processing speed, and other higher order skills. These skill domains are subserved by various white matter (WM) pathways, but not much is known about these brain-behavior links in PBTS. This study examined the anterior corona radiata (ACR), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi (IFOF), and superior longitudinal fasciculi (SLF) by analyzing associations among diffusion metrics and neurocognition. PROCEDURE Thirteen PBTS and 10 healthy controls (HC), aged 9-14 years, completed performance-based measures of processing speed and executive function, and parents rated their child's day-to-day executive skills. Children underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion weighted imaging that yielded fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values. Independent samples t-tests assessed group differences on neurocognitive and imaging measures, and pooled within-group correlations examined relationships among measures across groups. RESULTS PBTS performed more poorly than HC on measures of processing speed, divided attention, and shifting (d = -1.08 to -1.44). WM microstructure differences were significant in MD values for the bilateral SLF and ACR, with PBTS showing higher diffusivity (d = 0.75 to 1.21). Better processing speed, divided attention, and shifting were associated with lower diffusivity in the IFOF, SLF, and ACR, but were not strongly correlated with FA. CONCLUSIONS PBTS demonstrate poorer neurocognitive functioning that is linked to differences in WM microstructure, as evidenced by higher diffusivity in the ACR, SLF, and IFOF. These findings support the use of MD in understanding alterations in WM microstructure in PTBS and shed light on potential functions of these pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Glazer
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Young Jin Kim
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Madison Fecher
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Katherine A Billetdeaux
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Erin B Gilliland
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Elisabeth A Wilde
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Randal Olshefski
- Section of Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Department of Psychology and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Alberta Children's Hospital, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kathryn Vannatta
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Kristen R Hoskinson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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De Benedictis A, Rossi-Espagnet MC, de Palma L, Sarubbo S, Marras CE. Structural networking of the developing brain: from maturation to neurosurgical implications. Front Neuroanat 2023; 17:1242757. [PMID: 38099209 PMCID: PMC10719860 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2023.1242757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Modern neuroscience agrees that neurological processing emerges from the multimodal interaction among multiple cortical and subcortical neuronal hubs, connected at short and long distance by white matter, to form a largely integrated and dynamic network, called the brain "connectome." The final architecture of these circuits results from a complex, continuous, and highly protracted development process of several axonal pathways that constitute the anatomical substrate of neuronal interactions. Awareness of the network organization of the central nervous system is crucial not only to understand the basis of children's neurological development, but also it may be of special interest to improve the quality of neurosurgical treatments of many pediatric diseases. Although there are a flourishing number of neuroimaging studies of the connectome, a comprehensive vision linking this research to neurosurgical practice is still lacking in the current pediatric literature. The goal of this review is to contribute to bridging this gap. In the first part, we summarize the main current knowledge concerning brain network maturation and its involvement in different aspects of normal neurocognitive development as well as in the pathophysiology of specific diseases. The final section is devoted to identifying possible implications of this knowledge in the neurosurgical field, especially in epilepsy and tumor surgery, and to discuss promising perspectives for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luca de Palma
- Clinical and Experimental Neurology, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Silvio Sarubbo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Santa Chiara Hospital, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari (APSS), Trento, Italy
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Tanedo J, Gajawelli N, Guo S, Baron Nelson M, Lepore N. White matter tract changes in pediatric posterior fossa brain tumor survivors after surgery and chemotherapy. FRONTIERS IN NEUROIMAGING 2022; 1:845609. [PMID: 37555139 PMCID: PMC10406254 DOI: 10.3389/fnimg.2022.845609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Survivors of pediatric posterior fossa brain tumors are susceptible to the adverse effects of treatment as they grow into adulthood. While the exact neurobiological mechanisms of these outcomes are not yet understood, the effects of treatment on white matter (WM) tracts in the brain can be visualized using diffusion tensor (DT) imaging. We investigated these WM microstructural differences using the statistical method tract-specific analysis (TSA). We applied TSA to the DT images of 25 children with a history of posterior fossa tumor (15 treated with surgery, 10 treated with surgery and chemotherapy) along with 21 healthy controls. Between these 3 groups, we examined differences in the most used DTI metric, fractional anisotropy (FA), in 11 major brain WM tracts. RESULTS Lower FA was found in the splenium of the corpus callosum (CC), the bilateral corticospinal tract (CST), the right inferior frontal occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and the left uncinate fasciculus (UF) in children with brain tumors as compared to healthy controls. Lower FA, an indicator of microstructural damage to WM, was observed in 4 of the 11 WM tracts examined in both groups of children with a history of posterior fossa tumor, with an additional tract unique to children who received surgery and chemotherapy (left UF). CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that a history of tumor in the posterior fossa and surgical resection may have effects on the WM in other parts of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Tanedo
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Niharika Gajawelli
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Sharon Guo
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Mary Baron Nelson
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Natasha Lepore
- CIBORG Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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Hagan AJ, Verity SJ. The influence of methylphenidate on sustained attention in paediatric acquired brain injury: a meta-analytical review. Child Neuropsychol 2022:1-32. [PMID: 36000579 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2112559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Impairment in sustained attention is a common consequence of childhood Acquired Brain Injury (ABI). Whilst methylphenidate provides promise in enhancing "attention" as a unitary construct, little work has explored its effectiveness upon individual attentional domains. The current systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the utility of methylphenidate on sustained attentional performance across childhood ABI groups. Five databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus & Cochrane Library) were searched for relevant articles from their inception to March 2022. A purpose-developed evaluation tool was used to assess each study's research quality (QuEST:MAP). Nine of the 1600 identified articles were included within this review (n = 259). Meta-analytical findings reported an overall significant benefit of methylphenidate on sustained attention in childhood ABI (g = -0.33, 95% CI: -0.62 to -0.04). Associated summary effect sizes were relatively small, particularly when adjusting for outlier cases. Subgroup analyses identified a significantly greater benefit of methylphenidate in clinical subgroups with comorbid ADHD diagnoses (p < .01). The current evidence base is characterized by small-scale clinical trials with variable research quality and low generalizability. Further robust research is needed to quantify methylphenidate utility upon individual attentional domains in larger and more representative ABI samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Hagan
- Department of Paediatric Health Psychology, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK
| | - Sarah J Verity
- Department of Paediatric Health Psychology, Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, UK.,Newcastle University Centre for Cancer, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK
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Voon NS, Manan HA, Yahya N. Diffusion tensor imaging indices as biomarkers for cognitive changes following paediatric radiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Strahlenther Onkol 2022; 198:409-426. [PMID: 35238981 DOI: 10.1007/s00066-022-01905-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can detect subtle manifestations of white matter (WM) injury following paediatric radiotherapy, which may be a potential biomarker for cognitive changes. This study aimed to synthesise the relationships between DTI indices and cognitive changes following paediatric radiotherapy through systematic review and meta-analysis. PubMed and Scopus electronic databases were used to identify eligible studies. Quality assessment was performed using the National Institute of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Information on demographics, DTI changes, and associations to cognitive outcomes were extracted. Meta-analyses were performed on DTI changes in specific anatomical locations. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed in the preparation of this report. Eighteen studies were included (median study size: 21; range 18-146). 17/18 studies showed significant cognitive decline following irradiation. Meta-analyses found significant cognitive changes within patient's group of acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL; standard mean differences [SMD] = -0.075, P = 0.01) and brain tumours (BT; SMD = -1.037, P ≤ 0.001) compared to control/baseline. Both groups also had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) scores in the corpus callosum (ALL: SMD = -0.979, P = 0.002; BT: SMD = -1.025, P < 0.001). Decreased FA was consistently associated with cognitive decline. Correlation on WMFA integrity to cognitive domains was statistically significant (Z = 9.86, P < 0.001) with a large effect size (r = 0.52). White matter tract integrity of the corpus callosum measured with FA has the potential to be a biomarker for radiotherapy-related cognitive decline. Inclusion of DTI in follow-up imaging should be encouraged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noor Shatirah Voon
- Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Aziz, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hanani Abdul Manan
- Functional Image Processing Laboratory, Department of Radiology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Noorazrul Yahya
- Diagnostic Imaging and Radiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, National University of Malaysia, Jalan Raja Muda Aziz, 50300, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Baron Nelson MC, O'Neil SH, Tanedo J, Dhanani S, Malvar J, Nuñez C, Nelson MD, Tamrazi B, Finlay JL, Rajagopalan V, Lepore N. Brain biomarkers and neuropsychological outcomes of pediatric posterior fossa brain tumor survivors treated with surgical resection with or without adjuvant chemotherapy. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021; 68:e28817. [PMID: 33251768 PMCID: PMC7755691 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.28817] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Children with brain tumors experience cognitive late effects, often related to cranial radiation. We sought to determine differential effects of surgery and chemotherapy on brain structure and neuropsychological outcomes in children who did not receive cranial radiation therapy (CRT). METHODS Twenty-eight children with a history of posterior fossa tumor (17 treated with surgery, 11 treated with surgery and chemotherapy) underwent neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessment a mean of 4.5 years (surgery group) to 9 years (surgery + chemotherapy group) posttreatment, along with 18 healthy sibling controls. Psychometric measures assessed IQ, language, executive functions, processing speed, memory, and social-emotional functioning. Group differences and correlations between diffusion tensor imaging findings and psychometric scores were examined. RESULTS The z-score mapping demonstrated fractional anisotropy (FA) values were ≥2 standard deviations lower in white matter tracts, prefrontal cortex gray matter, hippocampus, thalamus, basal ganglia, and pons between patient groups, indicating microstructural damage associated with chemotherapy. Patients scored lower than controls on visuoconstructional reasoning and memory (P ≤ .02). Lower FA in the uncinate fasciculus (R = -0.82 to -0.91) and higher FA in the thalamus (R = 0.73-0.91) associated with higher IQ scores, and higher FA in the thalamus associated with higher scores on spatial working memory (R = 0.82). CONCLUSIONS Posterior fossa brain tumor treatment with surgery and chemotherapy affects brain microstructure and neuropsychological functioning years into survivorship, with spatial processes the most vulnerable. Biomarkers indicating cellular changes in the thalamus, hippocampus, pons, prefrontal cortex, and white matter tracts associate with lower psychometric scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Baron Nelson
- Departments of Medical Education and Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California
- Radiology Department, CIBORG Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sharon H O'Neil
- Radiology Department, CIBORG Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Division of Neurology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jeffrey Tanedo
- Radiology Department, CIBORG Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California
| | - Sofia Dhanani
- The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jemily Malvar
- Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Marvin D Nelson
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Benita Tamrazi
- Department of Radiology, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jonathan L Finlay
- The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio
- Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Vidya Rajagopalan
- Radiology Department, CIBORG Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Natasha Lepore
- Radiology Department, CIBORG Laboratory, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
- USC Viterbi School of Engineering, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Radiology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
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Predictors of cognitive function in pediatric brain tumor patients: Pre-surgery through 24-month follow-up. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2021; 10:340-347. [PMID: 31887256 PMCID: PMC7326643 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2019.1706179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the feasibility of cognitive assessment from pre-surgery through 2-year follow-up in a sample of pediatric brain tumor (BT) patients. We sought to investigate cognitive function over the course of diagnosis and treatment, and as a function of presenting problems, tumor location, treatment type, and tumor severity. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, standardized IQ measures were administered to pediatric BT patients (ages 6-16) prior to surgery (n = 25), 6 months post-diagnosis (n = 24), and 24 months post-diagnosis (n = 23). Group differences emerged based on tumor severity and treatment type at multiple time points, including prior to surgical intervention; children with high grade tumors performed more poorly than children with low grade tumors, and children receiving surgery plus adjuvant therapy performed more poorly than children who received surgery only. When considered together, an analysis of covariance demonstrated that tumor grade significantly accounted for variability in cognitive functioning, while treatment type did not. Although there is overlap clinically between tumor severity and treatment received, results suggest that tumor severity is an important factor contributing to variability in cognitive functioning and should also be considered when monitoring risk for cognitive deficits in children diagnosed with BT.
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Long-term cognitive outcome in adult survivors of an early childhood posterior fossa brain tumour. Int J Clin Oncol 2020; 25:1763-1773. [PMID: 32642850 PMCID: PMC7498491 DOI: 10.1007/s10147-020-01725-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Purpose Posterior fossa brain tumours (PFT) and their treatment in young children are often associated with subsequent cognitive impairment. However, reported follow-up periods rarely exceed 10 years. This study reports very long-term cognitive consequences of surviving an early childhood PFT. Methods 62 adult survivors of a PFT, ascertained from a national register, diagnosed before 5 years of age, and a sibling control, received a single IQ assessment an average of 32 years (range 18–53) after initial diagnosis, using the Weschler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence. Regression models were fitted to survivor–sibling pair differences on verbal and performance IQ (VIQ and PIQ) scores to investigate whether increasing time between PFT diagnosis and follow-up IQ assessment contributed to survivor–sibling IQ differences. Results At follow-up, survivors had, on average, VIQ 15 points and PIQ 19 points lower than their siblings. There was no significant effect of time since diagnosis on survivor–sibling VIQ difference. Survivors who received radiotherapy showed no significant effect of time since diagnosis on survivor–sibling PIQ difference. Survivors who did not receive radiotherapy demonstrated a trend for it to reduce. Conclusions VIQ and PIQ deficits persist in adulthood, suggesting the effect of a fixed injury imposing on cognitive development, rather than an ongoing pathological process. Implications for cancer survivors The findings will help parents and others supporting survivors of an early life PFT to identify and plan for possible cognitive outcomes, and highlight the importance of early interventions to optimize cognitive function during the developmental period. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10147-020-01725-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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