title: Intellectual, neuropsychological, and academic functioning in long-term survivors of leukemia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the effects of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) on children's cognitive functioning.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were long-term survivors of ALL treated with cranial irradiation and central nervous system (CNS) chemotherapy (n = 20), or CNS chemotherapy only (n = 21), healthy children (n = 21), and children with chronic asthma (n = 21). The groups were compared on measures of intellectual, neuropsychological, and academic functioning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CNS chemotherapy, with and without cranial irradiation, was associated with significantly lower levels of intellectual and academic functioning. Children with chronic asthma obtained lower scores than healthy controls, but these differences were not significant. Tests of neuropsychological functioning did not consistently separate the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CNS chemotherapy and, to a lesser extent, chronic illness both contribute to the poorer performance of long-term survivors of ALL on measures of intellectual and academic functioning.
authors.affiliation: University of Otago.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raymond-Speden
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tripp
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lawrence
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Holdaway
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001921:Brain / Q000528:radiation effects*; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007278:Injections, Spinal; D007360:Intelligence; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D008727:Methotrexate / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D054198:Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D008727:Methotrexate