Attention and memory functioning among pediatric patients with medulloblastoma.
OBJECTIVE
To test the hypotheses that memory and attention deficits are prevalent in survivors of childhood medulloblastoma (MB) and that these deficits are associated with problems with academic achievement.


METHODS
The medical charts of 38 child survivors of MB, who were administered the California Verbal Learning Test, Child Version (CVLT-C), Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), and the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT) as part of a comprehensive neurocognitive test battery, were retrospectively reviewed.


RESULTS
Although no significant verbal memory deficits were found, 8 of 11 CPT variables were significantly below the standardization mean (p < or = .01). Additionally, stepwise regression analyses found that increased omission errors were significantly associated with lower reading and math performance (p < or = .01).


CONCLUSIONS
These findings confirm previous reports of attention deficits among survivors of MB and provide a better understanding of how the dysfunction of particular attentional substrates (e.g., perceptual sensitivity, response bias) may result in learning problems in this population.
Reeves
Cara B
CB
Division of Behavioral Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 North Lauderdale Street, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-2794, USA. barber24@aol.com
Palmer
Shawna L
SL
Reddick
Wilburn E
WE
Merchant
Thomas E
TE
Buchanan
Gray M
GM
Gajjar
Amar
A
Mulhern
Raymond K
RK
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008527:Medulloblastoma / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D008568:Memory; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*