The impact of a cerebellar tumour on language function in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
Childhood-acquired cerebellar studies to date have appeared to present a concordant pattern of specific neuropsychological profiles depending on lesion site. The aim was to determine the impact of a cerebellar tumour specifically on language function in children by reporting both the general and high-level language abilities of 4 cases with differing sites of hemispheric and vermal involvement.


METHODS
The language abilities of 4 children (aged from 7 years 9 months to 13 years), treated with surgery and/or radiotherapy for cerebellar tumour 6 months to 3 years previously, were examined. A standardized battery of general and high-level language assessments was administered.


RESULTS
Analysis revealed intact abilities across all 4 cases on measures of general language, including receptive language, expressive language, receptive vocabulary and naming. While 2 of the 4 cases also demonstrated intact high-level language skills across all measures, the remaining 2 demonstrated specific deficits in linguistic problem solving at 6 months after treatment. Follow-up assessment of 1 case also demonstrated further decline in this area 12 months later.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings of high-level language deficits in problem solving in 2 of the 4 cases examined supported previous reports of specific impairments in high-level language and in thinking flexibility and problem solving following cerebellar hemispheric damage in childhood.
Docking
Kimberley M
KM
University of Queensland, Hospital, Brisbane, Australia. k.docking@uq.edu.au
Murdoch
Bruce E
BE
Suppiah
Ram
R
D002528:Cerebellar Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000209:etiology*