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Processing speed in children treated for brain tumors: effects of radiation therapy and age

Lisa A Jacobson1,2, E Mark Mahone1,2, Keith O Yeates3

  • 1a Department of Neuropsychology , Kennedy Krieger Institute , Baltimore , MD , USA.

Child Neuropsychology : a Journal on Normal and Abnormal Development in Childhood and Adolescence
|April 7, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Children treated for brain tumors (BT) with radiation therapy (RT) showed slower processing speed compared to those without RT. This difference was more pronounced in older children receiving RT.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Oncology
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Brain tumors (BT) and their treatments, including radiation therapy (RT), can impact cognitive function in children.
  • Understanding the long-term effects of RT on cognitive processing speed is crucial for pediatric cancer survivors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare processing speed in children treated for brain tumors (BT) with radiation therapy (RT) versus those treated without RT.
  • To investigate the longitudinal changes in cognitive and motor speed two years post-treatment.
  • To examine the moderating effect of age at treatment on processing speed outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 59 children (4-17 years) with BT, assessed at two time points (3-9 months and 2 years post-surgery).
  • Comparison between a radiation therapy (RT) group (n=26) and a no-RT group (n=33) at Time1, with follow-up for 42 participants.
  • Analysis using linear mixed effects (LME) regression, including age, sex, and tumor size as variables.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found in motor speed (Pegboard) or mean reaction time (Attention Network Task) between the RT and no-RT groups.
  • Children treated with RT demonstrated significantly lower scores on the Wechsler Processing Speed Index (PSI) compared to the no-RT group.
  • A significant group-by-age interaction indicated that the processing speed deficit in the RT group was more substantial in children who were 10 years or older at the time of initial treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Radiation therapy (RT) for pediatric brain tumors (BT) is associated with long-term deficits in cognitive processing speed.
  • Younger children (<10 years) undergoing RT may experience less severe processing speed impairments compared to older children (≥10 years) at the time of treatment.
  • Cumulative effects of tumor burden, surgery, and RT may contribute to greater cognitive efficiency challenges in children treated with radiation.

Keywords:
brain injurycancerchild developmentneoplasmspediatric assessment

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