Cognitive Fatigue and Processing Speed in Children Treated for Brain Tumours

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Oncology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Children and adolescent brain tumor survivors are at risk for both fatigue and cognitive deficits.
• The relationship between fatigue and cognition in this population remains incompletely understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between fatigue and cognitive impairments in pediatric brain tumor survivors.
• To explore the specific relationship between cognitive fatigue and cognitive processing speed.

Main Methods:

• Neuropsychological testing was conducted on 45 pediatric brain tumor survivors approximately 4 years post-diagnosis.
• Fatigue was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL™) Multidimensional Fatigue Scale.
• Regression analysis, adjusted for radiotherapy and age at diagnosis, examined associations between cognitive variables and fatigue.

Main Results:

• Significant associations were found between cognitive fatigue and cognitive processing speed (Coding: p = .003, r = .583; Symbol Search: p = .001, r = .585).
• Slower processing speed correlated with increased cognitive fatigue.
• Survivors with greater declines in processing speed reported higher levels of cognitive fatigue, which was more prevalent than other fatigue types.

Conclusions:

• The findings align with adult studies, demonstrating a link between cognitive fatigue and processing speed in pediatric brain tumor survivors.
• Some survivors experience fatigue without processing speed deficits, underscoring the need for comprehensive assessments.
• Fatigue is a multidimensional concept requiring appropriate measurement tools.