ABSTRACT
Advances in treatment have significantly improved the survival rate of children with brain tumour. This review describes risk factors of late neurocognitive effect, the different type of neurocognitive side effect according to the type of tumour and the rehabilitation. The best knowledge of cognitive sequelae allowed to propose supported appropriate and specific disorders including school facilities for younger and adaptation of professional situation for adults. Furthermore, this understanding allows to link with the patient's quality of life and to approach the person in its specificity and overall.
Subject(s)
Brain Neoplasms/therapy , Cognition Disorders/etiology , Astrocytoma/therapy , Brain Neoplasms/pathology , Cerebellar Neoplasms/therapy , Child , Cognition Disorders/therapy , Craniopharyngioma/therapy , Ependymoma/therapy , Humans , Medulloblastoma/therapy , Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal/therapy , Optic Nerve Glioma/therapy , Pituitary Neoplasms/therapy , Quality of Life , Return to Work , Risk Factors , Schools , SurvivorsABSTRACT
Medulloblastomas are the most common malignant childhood brain tumors arising in the posterior fossa. Treatment improvements for these tumors have meant that there are a greater number of survivors, but this long-term patient survival has increased the awareness of resulting neurocognitive deficits. Impairments in attention, memory, executive functions, and intelligence quotient demonstrate that the cerebellum likely plays a significant role in numerous higher cognitive functions such as language, cognitive, and emotional functions. In addition, children with medulloblastoma not only have cerebellar lesions but also brain white matter damages due to radiation and chemotherapy. Functional neuroimaging, a noninvasive method with many advantages, has become the standard tool in clinical and cognitive neuroscience research. By reviewing functional neuroimaging studies, this review aims to clarify the role of the cerebellum in cognitive function and explain more clearly cognitive sequelae due to polytherapy in children with medulloblastoma. This review suggests that the posterior cerebellar lobes are crucial to maintaining cognitive performance. Clinical investigations could help to better assess the involvement of these lobes in cognitive functions.
