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Pretreatment Cognition in Patients Diagnosed With Pediatric Brain Tumors

Irestorm, Elin LU orcid ; Perrin, Sean LU orcid and Olsson, Ingrid Tonning LU orcid (2018) In Pediatric Neurology 79. p.28-33
Abstract

Background: There is a large body of literature identifying risk factors for the long-term cognitive alterations found in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Less is known about baseline cognitive functioning in this population, but studies suggest that cognitive dysfunctions are often present at the time of diagnosis. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors for lower cognitive function at the time of pediatric brain tumor diagnosis. Methods: Participants were children and adolescents (n = 101) diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor between 2006 and 2015, who underwent a pretreatment neuropsychologic assessment. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the association between gender, age at diagnosis, tumor size... (More)

Background: There is a large body of literature identifying risk factors for the long-term cognitive alterations found in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Less is known about baseline cognitive functioning in this population, but studies suggest that cognitive dysfunctions are often present at the time of diagnosis. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors for lower cognitive function at the time of pediatric brain tumor diagnosis. Methods: Participants were children and adolescents (n = 101) diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor between 2006 and 2015, who underwent a pretreatment neuropsychologic assessment. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the association between gender, age at diagnosis, tumor size and location, increased intracranial pressure, epilepsy, and six different indicators of cognitive functioning. Results: Overall, cognitive performance was relatively intact, with results close to norm means, but impairments were found in memory and cognitive processing speed. Male gender, older age, epilepsy, increased intracranial pressure, and larger tumors were all associated with lower cognitive function at the time of brain tumor diagnosis; whereas tumor location was not. Conclusions: Pretreatment neuropsychologic assessments, with some adjustments, can be carried out with children and adolescents with brain tumors. Our study adds to a small but growing body of literature documenting cognitive impairments at the time of diagnosis; these impairments may partly explain the longer-term deficits that commonly occur in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Consistent with previous research, pretreatment impairments were more common among boys, older children, and those with increased intracranial pressure, epilepsy, and larger tumors. The relationship between baseline and longer-term cognitive deficits requires further examination.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Age, Increased intracranial pressure, Neuropsychologic assessment, Pediatric brain tumor, Pretreatment cognition
in
Pediatric Neurology
volume
79
pages
28 - 33
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85039420608
  • pmid:29249552
ISSN
0887-8994
DOI
10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2017.11.008
project
Cognitive Fatigue After Cancer Treatment
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
42936752-d30c-4f0a-9c63-354e7700ff1d
date added to LUP
2018-01-22 18:28:27
date last changed
2024-04-15 01:08:08
@article{42936752-d30c-4f0a-9c63-354e7700ff1d,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: There is a large body of literature identifying risk factors for the long-term cognitive alterations found in survivors of pediatric brain tumors. Less is known about baseline cognitive functioning in this population, but studies suggest that cognitive dysfunctions are often present at the time of diagnosis. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors for lower cognitive function at the time of pediatric brain tumor diagnosis. Methods: Participants were children and adolescents (n = 101) diagnosed with a pediatric brain tumor between 2006 and 2015, who underwent a pretreatment neuropsychologic assessment. Multivariate regression models were used to estimate the association between gender, age at diagnosis, tumor size and location, increased intracranial pressure, epilepsy, and six different indicators of cognitive functioning. Results: Overall, cognitive performance was relatively intact, with results close to norm means, but impairments were found in memory and cognitive processing speed. Male gender, older age, epilepsy, increased intracranial pressure, and larger tumors were all associated with lower cognitive function at the time of brain tumor diagnosis; whereas tumor location was not. Conclusions: Pretreatment neuropsychologic assessments, with some adjustments, can be carried out with children and adolescents with brain tumors. Our study adds to a small but growing body of literature documenting cognitive impairments at the time of diagnosis; these impairments may partly explain the longer-term deficits that commonly occur in pediatric brain tumor survivors. Consistent with previous research, pretreatment impairments were more common among boys, older children, and those with increased intracranial pressure, epilepsy, and larger tumors. The relationship between baseline and longer-term cognitive deficits requires further examination.</p>}},
  author       = {{Irestorm, Elin and Perrin, Sean and Olsson, Ingrid Tonning}},
  issn         = {{0887-8994}},
  keywords     = {{Age; Increased intracranial pressure; Neuropsychologic assessment; Pediatric brain tumor; Pretreatment cognition}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{28--33}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Pediatric Neurology}},
  title        = {{Pretreatment Cognition in Patients Diagnosed With Pediatric Brain Tumors}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2017.11.008}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2017.11.008}},
  volume       = {{79}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}