Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026
Murine Model of Leukemia Relapse to Induction Chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Published on: October 17, 2025
Gross and fine motor skills in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia
Cinzia R De Luca1, Maria McCarthy, Jane Galvin
1Children's Cancer Centre, The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Insights
Most children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) show normal motor skills. However, about a quarter experience motor difficulties, regardless of time since treatment.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Rehabilitation Medicine
Background:
- Chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) can impact children's motor development.
- Motor deficits may vary based on the time elapsed since treatment completion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the motor development of children treated for ALL.
- To determine if time since treatment influences gross and fine motor skills.
Main Methods:
- Thirty-seven children (2.5-5 years at diagnosis) were assessed using MABC-2 and BOT-2 SF.
- Participants were grouped by months-off-treatment: 0-12, 13-24, and 25-60 months.
Main Results:
- Mean MABC-2 and BOT-2 SF scores were within the average range.
- 26% of children scored in the impaired range on the MABC-2.
- Children 13-24 months off-treatment had lower Manual Dexterity (MABC-2) and BOT-2 SF scores compared to other groups.
Conclusions:
- The majority of children treated for ALL maintain adequate motor skills.
- Approximately 26% of children experience general motor impairments.
- Time since treatment did not significantly alter the prevalence of motor impairments across measures.
Objective:
Chemotherapy treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) may disrupt motor development, with suggestions that gross and fine motor deficits are different depending on time since treatment.
Methods:
Thirty-seven participants aged between 2.5 to 5 years at the time of diagnosis were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children, 2nd Edition (MABC-2) and the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency, 2nd Edition, Short Form (BOT-2 SF), and divided into groups (i.e., months-off-treatment): (1) 0-12, (2) 13-24, and (3) 25-60 for comparison.
Results:
MABC-2 and BOT-2 SF mean total scores fell within the average range. Twenty-six percent of the sample performed in the impaired range on the MABC-2. Group 2 had significantly lower Manual Dexterity scores than the normative population and lower BOT-2 SF scores than Group 1.
Conclusion:
Most children treated for ALL display appropriate motor skills, yet around a quarter experience general motor difficulties. Time-off-treatment did not affect the prevalence of motor impairments on any measure.
