Sensory-motor and cognitive functioning in children who have undergone bone marrow transplantation.
Sensory-motor and cognitive functioning was investigated in a group of 32 children treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT), 1-6 years after treatment. Twenty-five of the patients had suffered from leukemia. The BMT procedure had involved a regimen of cytostatic drugs and, for leukemia patients, total body irradiation at a dose of 10 Gy, administered in one session. Cytostatic drugs and irradiation are known to be potentially neurotoxic, particularly when combined. The examination involved four neuropsychological tests of sensory-motor and cognitive functioning, as well as an age-appropriate intelligence test. For control the bone marrow donors (n = 32), siblings of the patients, were also investigated. A pronounced delay in motor development was found in four children, who had been treated with BMT including total body irradiation before 3 years of age. Patients between 3 and 11 years of age at BMT were at a slight disadvantage, compared to donors, on tasks involving perceptual and fine motor speed. In older patients no deficits were observed.
Department of Psychology, University of Stockholm, Sweden.
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Smedler
K
K
Ringdén
H
H
Bergman
P
P
Bolme
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007938:Leukemia / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D014916:Whole-Body Irradiation