[Assessment of functional status in children with brain tumors]

Thirty children treated for brain tumors between 1978-1985 at Kurume university hospital were evaluated for alternation in intellectual, emotional, and social function. They were 15 males and 15 females, aged 3 to 16 years, on the averaged 1.7 years after treatment. Twenty-eight children had no neurological deficits and 2 children had slight neurological deficits. It was possible for twenty-eight children to be evaluated for intelligence quotient by Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-revised and Tanaka-Binet. The median score and standard deviation of intelligence quotient (IQ) test in children with brain tumors were as follows; verbal IQ: 84 +/- 16, performance IQ: 77 +/- 20, full scale IQ: 80 +/- 20. There children with brain tumors obtained significant low IQ scores than children (t-test, P less than 0.01). Twenty-one (72%) children showed subnormal IQ scores (IQ less than 90) and 7 children showed normal IQ scores (IQ greater than or equal to 90). Concerning social and emotional function, twelve children (45.7%) showed abnormal behaviour. The median scores and standard deviation of IQ scores in cranial irradiated patients were as follows; verbal IQ: 79 +/- 13, performance IQ: 71 +/- 15, full scale IQ: 71 +/- 14. Especially, ten of twelve cranial irradiated patients showed subnormal IQ scores. Also, cranial irradiated patients obtained significant low IQ scores than non-cranial irradiated patients (t-test, P less than 0.05). Serial evaluation of three cranial irradiated patients revealed further deterioration without recurrence of tumor and hydrocephalus, The results are discussed to: (1) the effects and mechanism of cranial irradiation on cognitive development.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)