Parent-reported cognitive function is associated with leukoencephalopathy in children with brain tumors

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Neuro-oncology
• Neuropsychology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Cognitive dysfunction is a significant challenge for pediatric brain tumor patients.
• Early detection and intervention are crucial for improving outcomes.
• A user-friendly screening tool is needed to identify children requiring comprehensive neuropsychological assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the pediatric perceived cognitive function item bank (pedsPCF) as a valid indicator of cerebral compromise in children with brain tumors.
• To determine if pedsPCF scores correlate with structural brain changes, specifically leukoencephalopathy grades on MRI.

Main Methods:

• Data from 99 children with brain tumors and their parents were analyzed.
• Leukoencephalopathy grade was assessed using MRI, evaluating white matter damage and deep white matter volume loss (range 0-4).
• Parents completed the pedsPCF, with scores standardized to a US general population T-score metric (mean=50, SD=10).

Main Results:

• The pedsPCF scores significantly differentiated between patients with varying leukoencephalopathy grades (F=4.14, p=0.0084).
• Effect sizes for discrimination ranged from 0.09 (grade 0 vs. 1) to 1.22 (grade 0 vs. 3/4).
• The mean pedsPCF T-score was 48.3 (SD=8.3), indicating overall performance relative to the general population.

Conclusions:

• The pedsPCF demonstrates validity as an indicator of leukoencephalopathy in pediatric brain tumor patients.
• Findings support the use of pedsPCF as a brief, user-friendly screening tool for neurocognitive deficits.
• This tool can facilitate timely referrals for comprehensive neurocognitive evaluations and early intervention strategies.