Health-related quality of life and cognitive functioning at on- and off-treatment periods in children aged between 6-13 years old with brain tumors: a prospective longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
Our study aimed to examine the relationship between intelligence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children (6-13 years old) diagnosed as having a brain tumor.


METHODS
We administered a Korean version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, version 4.0 (PedsQL), the Korean version of the Parenting Stress Index-Short Form, and the Korean Version of the Parenting Sense of Competence (K-PSOC) scale before or after initial radiotherapy (T1) and after treatment termination (T2). In total, 13 patients completed both the T1 and T2 interviews.


RESULTS
Scores significantly declined between T1 and T2 on the full-scale intelligence quotients (FIQ), verbal intelligence quotients (VIQ), performance intelligence quotients (PIQ), similarity and coding tests, as well as the K-PSOC, which measures parental anxiety. FIQ scores at T1 were correlated with the self-reported PedsQL total scores (r=0.739) and the parent proxy-report PedsQL scores for school functioning (r=0.706) at T2. Also, the FIQ scores at T2 were correlated with the self-reported PedsQL total scores (r=0.748) and scores for physical health (r=0.728) at T2.


CONCLUSIONS
The cognitive ability and intelligence level of the patients significantly declined between on and off treatment periods, and higher intelligence functioning at both on and off treatment was correlated with long-term higher HRQOL. Further investigations that monitor intelligence, HRQOL and parenting stress over a longer period, using a greater number of participants, are needed.
Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, 50 Irwon-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 135-710, Korea.
Kyung Jin
KJ
An
Yoo Sook
YS
Joung
Ki Woong
KW
Sung
Ji-Hae
JH
Kim
D000293:Adolescent; D001007:Anxiety; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis*; D013997:Time Factors