Measuring neurobehavioral side effects of corticosteroids in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia: A scoping review
Shreya Bhasin1,2, Joshua Brown2,3, Anna Dorste4
1University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA.
Insights
Corticosteroids are crucial for treating pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), but cause significant neuropsychiatric side effects. This review found current assessment methods are highly varied, hindering standardized management.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Oncology
- Neuropharmacology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Corticosteroids are vital for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment.
- Neuropsychiatric side effects of corticosteroids negatively impact pediatric ALL patients' quality of life.
- Standardized assessment and management of these side effects remain challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review of measurement tools for neurobehavioral side effects of corticosteroids in pediatric ALL.
- To identify and describe existing tools used for evaluating these adverse events.
- To highlight challenges in the standardized assessment and management of corticosteroid-induced neuropsychiatric effects.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive scoping review following PRISMA guidelines was performed.
- Extensive searches were conducted across multiple databases and registers.
- Twenty-four articles were included after screening 4047 identified studies.
Main Results:
- Clinical assessment was the predominant method for evaluating neurobehavioral symptoms.
- Twelve distinct validated measurement tools were identified in the literature.
- Significant heterogeneity exists in the data regarding neuropsychiatric side effects.
Conclusions:
- Existing measurement tools for corticosteroid-induced neurobehavioral effects in pediatric ALL are diverse.
- The heterogeneity of current data poses challenges for standardized assessment and clinical management.
- Further research is needed to establish consistent evaluation protocols for these adverse events.
Abstract:
Corticosteroids are essential to curative acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) treatment, yet have significant neuropsychiatric side effects that decrease quality of life for patients and families. We conducted a scoping review, following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, to describe the existing measurement tools used to evaluate neurobehavioral side effects of corticosteroids in pediatric ALL. From various databases and registers, 4047 studies were identified. Twenty-four articles met inclusion criteria. Clinical assessment was most used to evaluate these symptoms. Twelve validated measures were identified. Existing data about neuropsychiatric side effects of corticosteroids in pediatric ALL are extremely heterogeneous, creating challenges for standardized assessment and management.
