COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING AND BEHAVIOUR IN CHILDREN WITH ACQUIRED CEREBELLAR LESIONS
Abstract
This study describes the cognitive and behavioral disorders identified in children with cerebellar tumors removed at the University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa", Tirana (UHC), 2004-2008.
Objective: To evaluate the speech skills and executive functions of children who underwent surgery for extirpation of cerebellar tumors. Design: Clinical follow up study.
Setting: University Hospital Center, Neurology-Neurosurgery Division and community Mental Health Center. Participants: Children, 18 in total, who received surgery for cerebellar astrocytomas and medulloblastoma of the vermis.
Main outcome measures: Identifying the changes in cognitive functions and behavior during a period of 24 months after surgery and/or radio or chemotherapy;
the importance of differences identified in functioning of children according to the type of tumor.
Results: The average age of the children with astrocytoma was 10.2 years (from 7- 12.6), of whom six averaging 9.8 years (6.11- 13.4) had an involvement of the right hemisphere, and four averaging 10.6 years (7.2- 13.1) saw an involvement of the left hemisphere. Average "Z" scores for left and right lesions resulted: subjects with right cerebellar lesions showed a slight, insignificant decline in their verbal performance -1.4 z- score. Children with left cerebellar lesions showed a decline in non-verbal performance -1.3 z-score. Most of the children with medulloblastomas of the cerebellar cermis (MCV) resulted in mutism without behavioral
changes.
Conclusion: The alteration of cognitive and social profiles associated with cerebellar tumors means that these lesions contribute in those deficits. These findings also support Schmahmann’s hypothesis on functional topography inside the cerebellum and suggests that this topography begins to operate from an early stage.
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References
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