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Preoperative word-finding difficulties in children with posterior fossa tumours : a European cross-sectional study

Persson, K. LU orcid ; Boeg Thomsen, D. LU ; Fyrberg ; Castor, C. LU ; Aasved Hjort, M. ; Andreozzi, B. ; Grillner, P. ; Kjær Grønbæk, J. ; Jakus, J. and Juhler, M. , et al. (2024) In Child's Nervous System 40(1). p.87-97
Abstract

Purpose: Posterior fossa tumour surgery in children entails a high risk for severe speech and language impairments, but few studies have investigated the effect of the tumour on language prior to surgery. The current crosslinguistic study addresses this gap. We investigated the prevalence of preoperative word-finding difficulties, examined associations with medical and demographic characteristics, and analysed lexical errors. Methods: We included 148 children aged 5–17 years with a posterior fossa tumour. Word-finding ability was assessed by means of a picture-naming test, Wordrace, and difficulties in accuracy and speed were identified by cut-off values. A norm-based subanalysis evaluated performance in a Swedish subsample. We compared... (More)

Purpose: Posterior fossa tumour surgery in children entails a high risk for severe speech and language impairments, but few studies have investigated the effect of the tumour on language prior to surgery. The current crosslinguistic study addresses this gap. We investigated the prevalence of preoperative word-finding difficulties, examined associations with medical and demographic characteristics, and analysed lexical errors. Methods: We included 148 children aged 5–17 years with a posterior fossa tumour. Word-finding ability was assessed by means of a picture-naming test, Wordrace, and difficulties in accuracy and speed were identified by cut-off values. A norm-based subanalysis evaluated performance in a Swedish subsample. We compared the demographic and medical characteristics of children with slow, inaccurate, or combined slow and inaccurate word finding to the characteristics of children without word-finding difficulties and conducted a lexical error analysis. Results: Thirty-seven percent (n = 55) presented with slow word finding, 24% (n = 35) with inaccurate word finding, and 16% (n = 23) with both slow and inaccurate word finding. Children with posterior fossa tumours were twice as slow as children in the norming sample. Right-hemisphere and brainstem location posed a higher risk for preoperative word-finding difficulties, relative to left-hemisphere location, and difficulties were more prevalent in boys than in girls. The most frequent errors were lack of response and semantically related sideordinated words. Conclusion: Word-finding difficulties are frequent in children with posterior fossa tumours, especially in boys and in children with right-hemisphere and brainstem tumours. Errors resemble those observed in typical development and children with word-finding difficulties.

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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cerebellar mutism syndrome, Child language, Language impairment, Nordic-European CMS study, Posterior fossa tumour, Word-finding difficulties
in
Child's Nervous System
volume
40
issue
1
pages
87 - 97
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:37682305
  • scopus:85170109477
ISSN
0256-7040
DOI
10.1007/s00381-023-06119-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5a242d0a-53f7-40f5-96ec-d0530edd494c
date added to LUP
2023-11-06 12:20:36
date last changed
2024-04-19 03:38:34
@article{5a242d0a-53f7-40f5-96ec-d0530edd494c,
  abstract     = {{<p>Purpose: Posterior fossa tumour surgery in children entails a high risk for severe speech and language impairments, but few studies have investigated the effect of the tumour on language prior to surgery. The current crosslinguistic study addresses this gap. We investigated the prevalence of preoperative word-finding difficulties, examined associations with medical and demographic characteristics, and analysed lexical errors. Methods: We included 148 children aged 5–17 years with a posterior fossa tumour. Word-finding ability was assessed by means of a picture-naming test, Wordrace, and difficulties in accuracy and speed were identified by cut-off values. A norm-based subanalysis evaluated performance in a Swedish subsample. We compared the demographic and medical characteristics of children with slow, inaccurate, or combined slow and inaccurate word finding to the characteristics of children without word-finding difficulties and conducted a lexical error analysis. Results: Thirty-seven percent (n = 55) presented with slow word finding, 24% (n = 35) with inaccurate word finding, and 16% (n = 23) with both slow and inaccurate word finding. Children with posterior fossa tumours were twice as slow as children in the norming sample. Right-hemisphere and brainstem location posed a higher risk for preoperative word-finding difficulties, relative to left-hemisphere location, and difficulties were more prevalent in boys than in girls. The most frequent errors were lack of response and semantically related sideordinated words. Conclusion: Word-finding difficulties are frequent in children with posterior fossa tumours, especially in boys and in children with right-hemisphere and brainstem tumours. Errors resemble those observed in typical development and children with word-finding difficulties.</p>}},
  author       = {{Persson, K. and Boeg Thomsen, D. and Fyrberg and Castor, C. and Aasved Hjort, M. and Andreozzi, B. and Grillner, P. and Kjær Grønbæk, J. and Jakus, J. and Juhler, M. and Mallucci, C. and Mathiasen, R. and Molinari, E. and Pizer, B. and Sehested, A. and Troks-Berzinskiene, A. and van Baarsen, K. and Tiberg, I.}},
  issn         = {{0256-7040}},
  keywords     = {{Cerebellar mutism syndrome; Child language; Language impairment; Nordic-European CMS study; Posterior fossa tumour; Word-finding difficulties}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{87--97}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Child's Nervous System}},
  title        = {{Preoperative word-finding difficulties in children with posterior fossa tumours : a European cross-sectional study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00381-023-06119-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00381-023-06119-4}},
  volume       = {{40}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}